Total

Guardian Small Cap Core VIP Fund

Guardian Small Cap Core VIP Fund

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks capital appreciation.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table shows the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. The table does not reflect charges, fees or expenses that are, or may be, imposed under your variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy through which Fund shares are offered as an investment option. If those charges, fees or expenses were reflected, the fees and expenses shown in the table would be higher. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the fee table or example below. For information about these charges, fees and expenses, please refer to the applicable contract or policy prospectus.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses	Guardian Small Cap Core VIP Fund Guardian Small Cap Core VIP Fund
Management Fees	0.69%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees	0.25%
Other Expenses	0.10%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	1.04%
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement	none	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement	1.04%

Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. This Example does not reflect charges, fees or expenses that are, or may be, imposed under your variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy, and would be higher if it did. The Example reflects contractual fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements only for the duration of the current commitment, if applicable. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
Guardian Small Cap Core VIP Fund | Guardian Small Cap Core VIP Fund | USD ($)	106	331	574	1,271

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. As of the end of its most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 45% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes (measured at the time of investment) in common stocks of small capitalization companies or in other investments that ClearBridge Investments LLC (the "Subadviser") believes have similar economic characteristics to such common stocks. The Subadviser defines small capitalization companies as those companies with market capitalizations similar to companies in the Russell 2000® Index (the "Index") at the time of purchase. Although expected to change frequently, the market capitalization range of the Index was approximately $12.1 million to $14.7 billion as of March 31, 2022.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in equity securities of companies the Subadviser considers to be "special situations" at the time of purchase. The Subadviser defines special situations as companies undergoing unusual or possibly one-time developments that, in the opinion of the Subadviser, make them attractive for investment. These companies may be experiencing short-term or temporary changes in their prospects (e.g., reorganizations or restructurings in connection with bankruptcy proceedings) and their stock prices, in the opinion of the Subadviser, may be currently undervalued by the market. The Subadviser follows a value discipline in selecting securities, and therefore seeks to purchase securities at discounts to the Subadviser's assessment of their intrinsic value. The Fund may invest in American depositary receipts (ADRs) and foreign equity securities, including up to 20% of its assets in securities of emerging market issuers.

Although the Fund may invest in both growth and value stocks, the Subadviser seeks to identify companies where stock prices and valuation diverge and uncover those securities that, in the Subadviser's opinion, have a high probability of outperforming expectations and a valuation that the Subadviser believes is intrinsically higher than its current stock price. The Subadviser may also consider environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") factors as part of its fundamental analysis where the Subadviser believes such factors could materially impact the economic value or risk profile of an issuer. ESG factors considered may include, but are not limited to, climate change, an issuer's governance structure and practices, and diversity and labor practices. The evaluation of ESG risks and opportunities is based solely on proprietary research. The Subadviser typically may sell investments when it believes that they no longer offer attractive future returns compared with other investment opportunities or that they present undesirable risks, or in an attempt to limit losses on investments that may decline or have declined in value.

Principal Investment Risks

The risks summarized below are the principal risks of investing in the Fund. There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund.

Market Risk. The financial and securities markets are volatile and may be affected by political, regulatory, social, economic, and other global market developments and disruptions, including those arising out of geopolitical events, public health emergencies (such as the spread of infectious diseases, pandemics and epidemics), natural disasters, terrorism, and governmental or quasi-governmental actions. The market value of securities in which the Fund invests is based upon the market's perception of value and is not necessarily an objective measure of the securities' value. Such changes may be rapid and unpredictable. These events may negatively affect issuers, industries and markets worldwide and adversely affect the Fund. The price, value or liquidity of the Fund's investments may decline and will fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, in response to general market conditions or other factors. Different sectors of the market, issuers, and security types may react differently to such developments.

Issuer Risk. The Fund's investments may be adversely affected by a number of factors that directly relate to the issuer of securities held by the Fund, such as its earnings prospects and overall financial position. In addition, an issuer in which the Fund invests, or to which it has exposure, may perform poorly because of poor management decisions or other events, conditions, or factors, which could also negatively affect the Fund.

Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed by the Subadviser. There is no guarantee that the Subadviser's investment techniques, risk analysis, and judgment implemented in making investment decisions for the Fund will be accurate or will produce the desired outcome. As a result, the Fund may be adversely affected and may underperform its benchmark index or funds with similar investment objectives. The Fund may actively and frequently trade portfolio securities, which may lead to higher transaction costs that may negatively affect the Fund's performance. To the extent the Subadviser uses ESG factors to evaluate investments, the consideration of such factors may adversely affect the Fund's performance. Not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated for every investment. ESG characteristics are not the only factors considered and, as a result, the issuers in which the Fund invests may not be issuers with favorable ESG characteristics or high ESG ratings. The application of ESG factors may result in the Fund performing differently than other funds and strategies in its peer group that do not consider ESG factors.

Equity Securities Risk. The price or value of the Fund's investments in a company's equity securities, such as common or preferred stock, may rise or fall rapidly or unpredictably and are subject to real or perceived changes in the company's financial condition and overall market and economic conditions. Equity securities are normally more volatile than fixed-income investments. Common stocks generally represent the riskiest investment in a company and preferred stocks generally rank junior to a company's debt with respect to dividends, which the company may or may not declare.

Small-Capitalization Company Risk. The Fund's investments in small-capitalization companies may involve greater risks than those associated with mid- or large-capitalization companies. The securities issued by small-capitalization

companies may be more speculative, less liquid, more volatile, and more vulnerable to economic, market and industry changes than mid- or large-capitalization companies for reasons that may include more limited financial and human resources, relatively short operating histories and limited product lines.

Special Situations Risk. Investing in companies undergoing reorganization, restructuring or a spin-off involves special risks, including that the transaction may not be completed on the terms or time frame contemplated (if at all), it may be difficult to obtain information on the financial condition of such companies, the issuer's management may be addressing a type of situation with which it has little experience, and the fact that the market prices of such securities are subject to above-average price volatility.

Mid-Capitalization Company Risk. Securities of mid-capitalization companies may be more speculative, volatile and less liquid than securities of large-capitalization companies. Mid-capitalization companies tend to have limited product and market diversification and financial resources, which may negatively affect their performance. In addition, mid-capitalization companies may have less experienced management and be more vulnerable to adverse developments than larger companies.

Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts, or receipts issued by a bank, reflect ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies and involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities. There may be limited information available for depositary receipts, and holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting or other rights. Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying securities in their primary trading market.

Emerging Markets Risk. The risks associated with foreign investments are heightened for investments in emerging markets as emerging markets are considered to be less developed than developing countries. In particular, investments in emerging markets may present market, currency, liquidity, valuation, and other risks that are different from, or greater than, the risks of investing in developed foreign markets. Furthermore, investments in or exposure to emerging markets are generally subject to additional risks, including the risks associated with trading in smaller markets, lower volumes of trading, and being subject to lower levels of government regulation and less extensive and transparent accounting, auditing, recordkeeping, financial reporting and other requirements. Emerging markets may be especially volatile and securities transactions in emerging markets may be subject to delayed settlement.

Foreign Investment and Currency Risk. Foreign investments, or exposure to foreign markets, present greater risks than investing in securities of U.S. issuers. Foreign securities are particularly susceptible to liquidity and valuation risk and may be especially volatile. These investments are subject to additional risks, including: smaller markets; differing reporting, accounting, and auditing standards; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; foreign currency fluctuations, currency blockage, or replacement; potential for default on sovereign debt; and political changes or diplomatic developments, which may include the imposition of economic sanctions or other measures by the United States or other governments and supranational organizations. The Fund's foreign investments that are denominated in or provide exposure to a foreign currency may be negatively affected by a decline in the foreign currency's value relative to the U.S. dollar. The value of foreign currencies may fluctuate quickly and significantly. Foreign investments may also be subject to risk of loss because of more or less foreign government regulation, less public information, and less stringent investor protections and disclosure standards.

Past Performance

The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the 1 year and since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.guardianlife.com or by calling the phone number on the back of the Prospectus. Variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy fees, expenses and charges are not reflected in the returns shown in the bar chart and table below. If they were, returns would be less than those shown.

Annual Returns (by calendar year)

Highest Quarterly Return – 30.29% (4th Q 2020)
Lowest Quarterly Return – -39.08% (1st Q 2020)

Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended December 31, 2021)

Average Annual Returns - Guardian Small Cap Core VIP Fund	Average Annual Returns, 1 Year	Average Annual Returns, Since Inception	Average Annual Returns, Inception Date
Guardian Small Cap Core VIP Fund	17.72%	14.33%	Oct. 21, 2019
Russell 2000® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)	14.82%	19.82%

[1] Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC, the Fund's investment manager (the "Manager"), has contractually agreed through April 30, 2023 to waive certain fees and/or reimburse certain expenses incurred by the Fund to the extent necessary to limit the Fund's Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement to 1.05% of the Fund's average daily net assets (excluding, if applicable, any acquired fund fees and expenses, taxes, interest, transaction costs and brokerage commissions, litigation and extraordinary expenses). The limitation may not be increased or terminated prior to this time without action by the Board of Trustees.