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Devin Willis
Devin Willis

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I Built a Unified API for Federal Government Contract Data

Hey DEV community! I just finished building a side project and would love to get your feedback.

What I Built

Government Contracts API - A unified REST API for accessing U.S. federal government contract data.

Live Demo: https://govcontracts-beige.vercel.app

The Problem

If you've ever tried to build anything with government contract data, you know the pain:

  • Multiple APIs to deal with (USASpending.gov, SAM.gov)
  • Different data formats and authentication methods
  • Inconsistent documentation
  • Rate limits all over the place

The Solution

I built an API that aggregates data from these official government sources into a single, clean REST API.

Features:

  • Search federal contracts with filters (agency, amount, date, keywords)
  • Browse contract opportunities from SAM.gov
  • Get agency statistics and spending data
  • RESTful design with proper authentication (API keys)
  • Free tier available (rate limited) with paid tiers for heavier usage

Tech Stack

  • Next.js for the frontend and API routes
  • Clerk for authentication
  • Stripe for payments
  • USASpending.gov API and SAM.gov API as data sources
  • Deployed on Vercel

Looking for Feedback

I'd love to hear:

  • Is this useful? Would you use something like this?
  • Any features you'd want to see added?
  • Feedback on the API design or documentation

Thanks for checking it out!

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