The primary objective of the Excell in Export project is to help entrepreneurs and top management of SMEs to develop the export competencies needed for international growth. In order to achieve this, the project will formulate a flexible, non-stop Excell in Export programme that can be customised based on the situation of the participating companies. Outsourced service providers will be chosen through a public tender procurement process. The goal is that after developing the export competencies within the programme the participating SMEs will make their first export market entry or increase the share of exports in their business over the course of the Excell in Export Programme. Developing export skills to a high level will also enable transition to larger, more staff-intensive enterprise sizes. The in-depth client work conducted in the Excell in Export Programme is modular in structure. The first module will be carried out by project staff and permanent officials, while the follow-up modules will be carried out by service providers selected through a public tender. In order to create the best possible conditions for the launch of the project, the Uusimaa ELY-centre will pre-market the Excell in Export Programme to 1800 Uusimaa companies prior to the project kick off. In addition, during the project period active efforts will be made to reach the target group through multiple communication channels and with the support of collaborators and partners. The free export analysis phase will start after the kick off. The in-depth modules delivered through outsourcing will be launched during the ongoing analysis phase. The first phase of the Excell in Export Programme, the Export Analysis module, which is free of charge, aims to involve 350 companies with a realistic chance of exporting within one year timeline. The Export Analysis will analyse the company's readiness level to export by sub-sector and provide prioritised advice on how to improve the competencies and tackle typical export challenges. If the company is already at a sufficient competence level, it can proceed to the next phases: the Export Journey and Export Coaching modules. These modules are fee-based and focus on building key export competencies in a customised manner, taking into account the company's current situation. If the client does not directly cross the threshold to access the advanced modules, they will be guided to develop their competencies on their own and then reassessed. The target is for approx. 100 companies to start or expand their export operations within the Excell in Export Programme advanced modules. Each of the modules alone will improve the entrepreneur's export competencies and provide a basis for further development of export skills and activities. It is not necessary for all participants to go through all the Excell in Export Programme modules if, for example, it is determined that it makes most sense to postpone the start of exporting or that the company's capabilities are not being developed to a sufficient level despite efforts. The service is targeted at the management and key personnel of SMEs in the Uusimaa region who recognise exporting as a significant opportunity to increase their company's turnover and find new, more profitable customers in export markets. Participating companies must have a realistic plan to start export operations within about one year from the start of the coaching. The export potential of the companies may be based on good existing products or services for which there is demand and which can be profitably sold on export markets. The international business potential can also be based on a new product or service innovation that is just entering the marketplace. Companies that already export but do not account for a large proportion of their turnover may also qualify for inclusion in the business assessment. The majority of Finland's export companies are located in the Uusimaa region. Similarly, the majority of companies with export potential but are not yet operating in the export business, their export volume is very limited or they have only tested exporting are located in the Uusimaa region. Due to this regional emphasis the project's collaboration with the Team Finland network is well justified. The Team Finland core member organisations: ELY-centres, Business Finland, Finnvera, the TE offices and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, have clearly identified these company customers with this specific need. These prospect companies are interested in starting exporting, but their competencies, capabilities and know-how are not yet reaching the level needed for it. These potential companies are not advancing on the Team Finland customer journey and the public business service system is unable to accelerate their growth. These businesses are the target group and sub-segments for Excell in Export Programme. Therefore, the programme complements a gap identified in the public business serv