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Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Understanding how Companies in the UK integrates with AI assistants.

What is MCP?​

The Model Context Protocol is a standardized way for AI assistants like Claude to access external data and tools. It enables:

  • Tool Discovery: Claude automatically knows what company data is available
  • Natural Language: You ask questions in plain English
  • Structured Data: Claude receives well-organized company information
  • Direct Integration: No coding required on your part

How It Works​

When you ask Claude about a UK company:

Available Capabilities​

Tools​

Interactive functions that Claude can use:

  • search_companies - Find companies by name, location, or industry
  • get_company_details - Retrieve comprehensive company information
  • calculate_financial_ratios - Analyze financial health
  • get_company_by_name - Smart lookup with automatic suffix handling
  • quick_financial_summary - Get key metrics at a glance

Resources​

Direct access to specific company data:

  • ukcompany://{company_number} - Company details
  • ukcompany://{company_number}/officers - Directors and officers
  • ukcompany://{company_number}/financials/{year} - Financial data

Prompts​

Pre-configured analysis templates:

  • company_assessment - Comprehensive evaluation framework

Benefits for Users​

No Technical Knowledge Required​

  • Just add the MCP server URL to Claude
  • Ask questions in natural language
  • Claude handles all the technical details

Always Current Data​

  • Real-time access to company information
  • No need to update or maintain anything
  • Data comes directly from authoritative sources

Intelligent Processing​

  • Claude understands the context of company data
  • Automatic suffix handling (Ltd, PLC, etc.)
  • Smart search and filtering

Example Interactions​

Simple Query​

You: "Is ABC Limited a legitimate company?"
Claude: [Uses get_company_by_name to check status and details]

Complex Analysis​

You: "Compare the financial health of Tesco vs Sainsbury's"
Claude: [Uses multiple tools to gather and analyze data]

Research Task​

You: "Find all tech companies in Cambridge with under £10M revenue"
Claude: [Combines search with filtering and analysis]

Why MCP is Better Than APIs​

Traditional APIMCP with Claude
Write code to call endpointsAsk questions in English
Parse JSON responsesGet formatted answers
Handle errors and retriesClaude manages everything
Build your own UIConversational interface
Maintain integration codeZero maintenance