WASHINGTON — The Trump administration released regulations on Wednesday that could help venture capitalists, Native American tribes and entrepreneurs benefit from a new tax incentive meant to encourage investment in struggling communities.

Backers of that incentive, known as Opportunity Zones, had complained to the administration in recent weeks that its regulations could end up steering most of that money into real estate development, rather than start-up businesses that are more likely to create well-paying jobs.

The rules released on Wednesday appeared to ease many of those fears. But critics said the administration had not done enough to make sure that the program achieved its goals.

Under the 169-page proposed regulation, the second in a series of rules meant to clarify the 2017 tax law that created the zones, investors can take advantage of the tax breaks in several ways. The new methods are particularly important for investors who hope to fund new coffee shops, grocery stores or possibly, as administration officials conceded on Wednesday, marijuana dispensaries in states that have legalized the drug.