The idea of the Utsjoki Model project is to strengthen Utsjoki as a strong border trade and local service centre in the border area, a gateway to the Barents region. The long-term vision is that the municipality of Utsjoki will be a strong and attractive local service and housing centre in 2020. Cross-border trade and exports, cross-border operations and expertise in Norway and Barents are key factors in development. Utsjoki villages are attractive, comfortable and safe places to live in Norway and their families, as well as an attractive business environment for businesses in the trade, services and small industries. The local service centre operating model can also be applied to other cross-border settlements.The aim of this project is to identify opportunities and the needs of specialist services related to border trade and Norwegian exports, especially in Utsjoki. The measure of the project is to carry out a study, which includes the views of SMEs to increase cross-border trade and Norwegian exports, as well as the views of Norwegian border shop customers on service gaps. As part of the study, there are also proposals for measures to develop public and private specialist services. The result of the project is a study of companies’ needs in relation to cross-border trade and Norway’s export and expertise needs. The output of the project consists of a final report that reviews the results of the project and discusses further work.