Rural development policies and the promotion of innovation represent the basis for the successful development of rural areas. In this context, the assessment of innovative initiatives and projects alongside the analysis of the status quo and obstacles to innovations are crucial. In this article, Sandra Naumann (Ecologic) and Andreas Frangenberg (FNL), propose a set of indicators to qualitatively evaluate the sustainability and the success of innovation projects. In addition, this publication presents the results of a comprehensive review on innovations in rural regions.