SUMMARY PROSPECTUS — MAY 1, 2025

Guardian Global Utilities VIP Fund

This Summary Prospectus is intended for use in connection with variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies issued by The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc. and is not intended for use by other investors. Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund's Statutory Prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Statutory Prospectus, reports to shareholders, and other information about the Fund, including the Fund's Statement of Additional Information (SAI), online at https://guardianvpt.onlineprospectus.net/GuardianVPT/Prospectuses/. You can also obtain this information at no cost by calling 1-888-GUARDIAN (1-888-482-7342) (variable life insurance policy owners); by calling 1-800-830-4147 (variable annuity contract owners); by sending an email request to GIAC_CRU@glic.com; or by contacting your financial intermediary. This Summary Prospectus incorporates by reference the Fund's Prospectus and SAI, each dated May 1, 2025, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time.

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks total return.

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)

Management Fees

   

0.73

%

 

Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees

   

0.25

%

 

Other Expenses

   

0.32

%

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

   

1.30

%

 

Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement1,2

   

-0.19

%

 
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense
Reimbursement2
   

1.11

%

 

1  ​Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC, the Fund's investment manager (the "Manager"), has contractually agreed through April 30, 2026 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 1.11% 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.

2  ​"Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement" and "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement" have been restated to reflect the current expense limitation arrangement.

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,

Guardian Global Utilities VIP Fund Summary Prospectus 1


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:

   

1 Year

 

3 Years

 

5 Years

 

10 Years

 

Guardian Global Utilities VIP Fund

 

$

113

   

$

393

   

$

695

   

$

1,551

   

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. For the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 29% 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 securities of companies in the utilities industry (or utilities group of industries) worldwide. Wellington Management Company LLP (the "Subadviser") considers a company to be in the utilities industry (or utilities group of industries) if it engages in the ownership or operation of facilities used in, or derives at least 50% of its assets or revenues from, the generation, transmission, or distribution of electricity, gas, or water. "Global securities" may include: common stock, depositary receipts, master limited partnerships ("MLPs") (up to a maximum of 20% of the Fund's net assets), preferred stock, rights, and exchange traded funds ("ETFs").

The Subadviser analyzes the competitive outlook for various industries within the utilities group of industries, identifying those industries it believes are likely to benefit from the current market environment, as well as individual opportunities within each industry. The Subadviser applies an integrated approach to portfolio management that incorporates macroeconomic, industry and company-specific factors, such as the regulatory environment, regional exposures, industry allocations, stock selection, contract pricing, and the Subadviser's assessment of the sustainability of cash flow growth and intrinsic value. Industry weightings will reflect the Subadviser's view as to both the macroeconomic environment and the relative attractiveness of stocks within the utilities industries. Holdings are generally diversified across the utilities group of industries, but may at times be concentrated in segments of the utilities industries (e.g., electricity, gas or water) that provide what the Subadviser considers to be the most compelling opportunities. The Subadviser will generally seek to diversify the Fund's portfolio by investing in issuers located in at least three foreign countries. However, the Fund may invest a substantial portion of its assets in just one foreign country. An issuer of a security will be deemed to be located in a particular country if: (i) the principal trading market for the security is in such country; (ii) the issuer is organized under the laws of such country; or (iii) the issuer derives at least 50% of its revenues or profits from such country or has at least 50% of its total assets situated in such country. Country and regional weights are a fallout of the stock-selection process, although the Fund typically maintains exposures to all major geographic regions. Investment in emerging markets is permitted up to 25% of Fund assets. Emerging market countries are countries whose financial and capital markets are in the development phase and include countries located in Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and developing countries of Europe, primarily Eastern Europe. The Fund may invest in companies of any size.

Derivatives may be used to reduce risk, obtain efficient market exposure, and/or enhance investment returns, and may include swaps, forward contracts, options, currency derivatives (including currency forwards, futures, options, and spot transactions), and similar instruments or combinations thereof. Currency exposure is typically left unhedged, although hedging is permitted.

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 very 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. These events may negatively affect issuers, industries and

2 Summary Prospectus Guardian Global Utilities VIP Fund


markets worldwide and adversely affect the Fund and its investments. 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. Changes to the market value of securities in which the Fund invests may be rapid and unpredictable. 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. The Fund may actively and frequently trade portfolio securities, which may lead to higher transaction costs that may negatively affect the Fund's performance. 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.

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.

Utilities Risk. Securities of utilities companies may be significantly affected by government regulation or deregulation, interest rate changes, financing difficulties or costs and legal challenges, manmade or natural disasters, and supply and demand fluctuations. Other factors may adversely affect the value of these securities, including market competitiveness, technological developments, natural resources conservation, and changes in commodity prices. The value of these securities may be particularly volatile. The Fund's performance will be closely tied to the performance of utilities companies and, thus, can be more volatile than the performance of a more broadly invested fund.

Concentration Risk. The Fund will concentrate (invest at least 25% of its total assets) in securities of companies in the utilities group of industries. Concentrating investments in the utilities group of industries increases the risk of loss because the stocks of many or all of the companies in the utilities group of industries may decline in value due to developments adversely affecting the utilities industry, including but not limited to, supply and/or demand for services or fuel, financing costs, governmental regulation, economic conditions, competitive pressures due to deregulation, increased sensitivity to the cost of energy production, and environmental factors such as conservation of natural resources. In addition, the Fund's performance may be more volatile than the performance of funds that invest more broadly.

Geographic Focus Risk. To the extent the Fund's investments focus on one or more specific geographic regions or a small group of countries the Fund's performance will be particularly susceptible to conditions and developments relating to such region(s) or countries. Issuers in a single country, a small number of countries, or a particular geographic region can react similarly to market, currency, economic, political, regulatory, geopolitical and other conditions. In addition, the Fund may be subject to greater volatility than a more geographically diversified fund.

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.

Counterparty Risk. Certain investments or investment transactions are subject to the risk that the Fund's counterparty will become insolvent or otherwise be unwilling or unable to perform its obligations in a timely manner or at all. As a result, the Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed, which may result in a loss to the Fund.

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.

Guardian Global Utilities VIP Fund Summary Prospectus 3


Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are instruments whose value depends on (or is derived from) the value of an underlying security, asset, or other benchmark. Derivatives (including short exposures through derivatives) pose risks in addition to and greater than those associated with investing directly in other investments, including potentially heightened liquidity and valuation risk, counterparty risk, market risk, operational risk and legal risk. In addition, certain derivatives result in leverage, which can result in losses substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivatives by the Fund.

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. The risks of investing emerging markets are elevated under adverse market conditions. 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, sensitivity to adverse political, economic or social events affecting the region where an emerging market is located, and the potential expropriation or nationalization of foreign deposits or assets. 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, tariffs, or other measures by the United States or other governments and supranational organizations. Economic sanctions may be, and have been, imposed against certain countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals. Certain foreign markets may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments (including regional and global, military or other conflicts), the imposition of economic sanctions, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers (including tariffs) and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Economic sanctions and other similar governmental actions or developments could, among other things, adversely impact the value and liquidity of the Fund's foreign investments and the Fund's ability to invest in foreign investments and thus make the Fund's investments in such securities less liquid or illiquid. 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 and may make the return on an investment increase or decrease, unrelated to the quality or performance of the investment itself. 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.

Forwards and Futures Contracts Risk. Forwards and futures contracts are derivative contracts that obligate a purchaser to purchase, and a seller to sell, a specific amount of an asset (e.g., a currency or security) at a specified future date and price. In addition to the risks generally applicable to derivatives, these contracts are particularly subject to the risk of imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the asset underlying a contract or the asset held by the Fund being hedged and the price of the forward or futures contract, as well as losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited.

Master Limited Partnerships Risk. Investing in MLPs involves certain risks related to investing in the underlying assets of the MLPs and risks associated with pooled investment vehicles. These investments also entail risks related to fluctuations in the energy sector, including energy price volatility and decreases in supply of or demand for energy commodities, as well as unique tax consequences resulting from the partnership structure and various other risks, including limited control and voting rights and potential conflicts of interest. In addition, MLPs may experience limited trading volumes and, thus, may be relatively illiquid or volatile at times.

Options Risk. An option is a derivative contract where, for a premium payment or fee, the purchaser of the option is given the right but not the obligation to buy (a call option) or sell (a put option) the underlying asset (or settle for cash an amount based on an underlying asset, rate or index) at a specified price (the exercise price) during a period of time or on a specified date or dates. In addition to the risks generally applicable to derivatives, the prices of options can be highly volatile and the Fund's use of options can lower total returns and may affect the Fund's portfolio turnover rate and the amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Fund.

4 Summary Prospectus Guardian Global Utilities VIP Fund


Other Investment Companies Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies (such as ETFs), the Fund will incur a pro rata share of the expenses of these investment companies and the Fund will be subject to the risks associated with these investment companies. An ETF may trade in the secondary market at a price below or above the value of its underlying portfolio and may not be liquid. In addition, an ETF may not replicate exactly the performance of the index it seeks to track for a number of reasons.

Swaps Risk. Swap agreements are derivatives contracts where the parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. In addition to the risks generally applicable to derivatives, risks associated with swap agreements include adverse changes in the returns of the underlying instruments, failure of the counterparties to perform under the agreement's terms and the possible lack of liquidity with respect to the agreements.

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, 5 year and since inception periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance and an additional index. 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: 16.93% (3rd Q 2024)
Lowest Quarterly Return: -17.04% (1st Q 2020)

Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended December 31, 2024)

Fund

 

Inception

 

1 Year

 

5 Year

 

Since Inception

 

Guardian Global Utilities VIP Fund

 

10/21/2019

   

17.74

%

   

7.39

%

   

7.65

%

 
MSCI® Europe, Australasia and Far East ("EAFE®")
Index* (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses
or taxes)
       

3.82

%

   

4.73

%

   

5.68

%

 
MSCI® ACWI® Utilities Index** (reflects no deduction
for fees, expenses or taxes)
       

11.82

%

   

4.11

%

   

4.39

%

 

*  In accordance with new regulatory requirements, the Fund has selected the MSCI® EAFE® Index as the Fund's broad-based securities market index.

**  The MSCI® ACWI® Utilities Index is the Fund's secondary benchmark index and was selected to align more closely with the Fund's investment strategy and portfolio holdings.

Guardian Global Utilities VIP Fund Summary Prospectus 5


Management

Park Avenue Institutional Advisers LLC serves as the Fund's manager. Wellington Management Company LLP serves as the Fund's subadviser. The following persons are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund:

Portfolio Manager  

Title with the Subadviser

 

Managed Fund Since

 
G. Thomas Levering
 
  Senior Managing Director, Partner, and
Global Industry Analyst
  Inception (October 21, 2019)
 
 
Juanjuan Niska, CFA
 
  Senior Managing Director, Partner, and
Global Industry Analyst
  May 1, 2023
 
 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

The Fund offers its shares only as underlying investment options to variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies issued by The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc. ("GIAC"). You choose investment options through your contract or policy. You do not purchase Fund shares directly from, or redeem Fund shares directly with, the Fund. Please refer to your contract or policy prospectus for more information regarding the purchase and sale of Fund shares.

Tax Information

No tax information is provided because the Fund's shareholders are separate accounts of GIAC. For information concerning the tax consequences applicable to your variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy, please refer to your contract or policy prospectus or consult with your tax advisor.

Financial Intermediary Compensation

If you purchase your variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, GIAC, the Fund or their affiliates may pay the intermediary for the sale of the contract or policy, the selection of the Fund and certain related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the contract or policy over another investment or annuity or insurance product, or to recommend the Fund over another investment option available under the contract or policy. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

6 Summary Prospectus Guardian Global Utilities VIP Fund


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