Under the Opportunity Zone 2.0 program, state governors may nominate up to 25% of their state’s eligible census tracts every ten years for U.S. Treasury certification as Opportunity Zones. Indiana’s census tract nominations were submitted on September 25, 2026 and, after federal certification, these Opportunity Zones will be in effect from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2036. 

The 2027-2036 Opportunity Zones are part of a new federal designation cycle, separate from the Opportunity Zones designated in 2018. For information about the 2018 zones and differences between the two program cycles, see the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Qualified Opportunity Zones webpage or its Opportunity Zones Resources. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has developed a helpful chart highlighting the differences between the two Opportunity Zone programs, available here. 

The Opportunity Zone 2.0 program continues to pursue the program’s original goal of encouraging long-term private investment in low-income communities by offering federal tax incentives to investors. The updated framework emphasizes support for rural communities, tightens the income threshold for eligible tracts, and adds accountability and reporting requirements. Strengthened incentives, including enhanced tax benefits and modified program requirements, are designed to increase the flow of private capital into underserved areas.