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Summary prospectus

Delaware Ivy VIP Natural Resources — Class II

May 1, 2023

Before you invest, you may want to review the Portfolio's statutory prospectus (and any supplements thereto), which contains more information about the Portfolio and its risks. You can find the Portfolio's statutory prospectus and other information about the Portfolio, including its statement of additional information and most recent reports to shareholders, online at delawarefunds.com/vip-literature. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 800 523-1918. The Portfolio's statutory prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated May 1, 2023 (and any supplements thereto), are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus.

What is the Portfolio's investment objective?

Delaware Ivy VIP Natural Resources seeks to provide capital growth and appreciation.

What are the Portfolio’s fees and expenses?

The following table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Portfolio. The fee table and example do not reflect any fees or sales charges imposed by variable insurance contracts. If they did, the expenses would be higher.

Annual portfolio operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Class

II

Management fees

0.85%

Distribution and service (12b-1) fees

0.25%

Other expenses

0.15%

Total annual portfolio operating expenses

1.25%

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio 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. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Class

II

1 year

$127

3 years

$397

5 years

$686

10 years

$1,511

Portfolio turnover

The Portfolio 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 and may result in higher taxes when Portfolio shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in the annual portfolio operating expenses or in the example, affect the Portfolio's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 65% of the average value of its portfolio.

What are the Portfolio's principal investment strategies?

Delaware Ivy VIP Natural Resources seeks to achieve its objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of companies with operations throughout the world that own, explore or develop natural resources and other basic commodities or supply goods and services to such companies.


 

Summary prospectus

For these purposes, “natural resources” generally includes, but is not limited to: energy (such as electricity and gas utilities, producers/developers, equipment/services, storage/transportation, gas/oil refining and marketing, service/drilling, pipelines and master limited partnerships (MLPs)), alternative energy (such as uranium, coal, nuclear, hydrogen, wind, solar, fuel cells), industrial products (such as building materials, cement, packaging, chemicals, materials infrastructure, supporting transport and machinery), forest products (such as lumber, plywood, pulp, paper, newsprint, tissue), base metals (such as aluminum, copper, nickel, zinc, iron ore and steel), precious metals and minerals (such as gold, silver, platinum, diamonds), and agricultural products (grains and other foods, seeds, fertilizers, water). The Portfolio also may invest in companies that are not within the energy sector but that are engaged in the development of products and services to enhance energy efficiency in the manufacturing, development, and/or providing of products and services.

After conducting a top-down (assessing the market environment) market analysis of the natural resources industry and identifying trends and sectors, the Manager uses a research-oriented, bottom-up (researching individual issuers) investment approach when selecting securities for the Portfolio, focusing on company fundamentals and growth prospects. The Portfolio invests in a blend of value and growth companies across the capitalization spectrum, and emphasizes companies that the Manager believes are strongly managed and can generate above-average capital growth and appreciation. The Manager focuses on companies that it believes are high quality, have the potential for sustainable long-term growth and that are low-cost leaders that possess historically strong-producing assets. The Portfolio typically holds a limited number of stocks (generally 30 to 60).

Under normal circumstances, the Manager anticipates that a significant portion of the Portfolio’s holdings will consist of issuers in the energy and materials sectors.

The Portfolio seeks to be diversified internationally, and therefore, the Manager invests in foreign companies and U.S. companies that have principal operations in foreign jurisdictions. While the Manager typically seeks to invest a majority of the Portfolio’s assets in the U.S., the Portfolio may invest up to 100% of its total assets in foreign securities. Exposure to companies in any one particular foreign country will generally be less than 15% of the Portfolio’s total assets or two times the Portfolio’s benchmark index (currently the S&P Global Natural Resources Index) weight, whichever is greater. The Portfolio also may have exposure to companies located in, and/or doing business in, emerging markets.

An investment in foreign securities presents additional risks such as currency fluctuations and political or economic conditions affecting the foreign country. Many of the companies in which the Portfolio may invest have diverse operations, with products or services in foreign markets. Therefore, the Portfolio may have indirect exposure to various foreign markets through investments in these companies, even if the Portfolio is not invested directly in such markets.

The Portfolio may use forward currency contracts in an effort to manage foreign currency exposure.

Generally, in determining whether to sell a security, the Manager uses the same type of analysis that it uses in buying securities to determine whether the security has ceased to offer significant growth potential, has sufficiently exceeded its target price, has become overvalued and/or whether the prospects of the issuer have deteriorated. The Manager also will consider the effect of commodity price trends on certain holdings, poor capital management or whether a company has experienced a change or deterioration in its fundamentals, its valuation or its competitive advantage. The Manager also may sell a security to take advantage of what it believes are more attractive investment opportunities, to reduce the Portfolio’s holding in that security or to raise cash.

The Manager may permit its affiliate, Macquarie Investment Management Global Limited (MIMGL), to execute Fund security trades on behalf of the Manager. The Manager may also seek quantitative support from MIMGL.

What are the principal risks of investing in the Portfolio?

Investing in any mutual fund involves the risk that you may lose part or all of the money you invest. Over time, the value of your investment in the Portfolio will increase and decrease according to changes in the value of the securities in the Portfolio's portfolio. An investment in the Portfolio may not be appropriate for all investors. The Portfolio's principal risks include:

Market risk — The risk that all or a majority of the securities in a certain market — such as the stock or bond market — will decline in value because of factors such as adverse political or economic conditions, future expectations, investor confidence, or heavy institutional selling.

Natural resources industry risk — Investment risks associated with investing in securities of natural resources companies, in addition to other risks, include price fluctuation caused by real and perceived inflationary trends and political developments, the cost assumed by natural resource companies in complying with environmental and safety regulations, changes in supply of, or demand for, various natural resources, changes in energy prices, environmental incidents, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, changes in commodity prices, and special risks associated with natural or man-made disasters. Securities of natural resource companies that are dependent on a single commodity, or are concentrated in a single commodity sector, may exhibit high volatility attributable to commodity prices.

Energy sector risk — The risk that investment risks associated with investing in energy securities, in addition to other risks, include price fluctuation caused by real and perceived inflationary trends and political developments, the cost assumed in complying with environmental safety regulations, demand of energy fuels, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, and tax and other governmental regulations.

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Commodity-related investments risk — The value of commodities investments will generally be affected by overall market movements and factors specific to a particular industry or commodity, which may include weather, embargoes, tariffs, and economic health, political, international regulatory and other developments. Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Portfolio to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The investment team does not plan to always implement exposure to commodities in the Portfolio, however they will consider holding commodity ETFs in market scenarios where inflation is running higher than normal and their asset allocation model signals for additional commodity exposure. In addition, the Portfolio may use futures and options on commodities for a variety of purposes such as hedging against adverse changes in the market prices of securities, as a substitute for purchasing or selling securities, to increase the Fund’s return as a non-hedging strategy that may be considered speculative and to manage the Fund’s portfolio characteristics.

Industry and sector risk — The risk that the value of securities in a particular industry or sector (such as natural resources) will decline because of changing expectations for the performance of that industry or sector.

Growth stock risk Growth stocks reflect projections of future earnings and revenue. These prices may rise or fall dramatically depending on whether those projections are met. These companies’ stock prices may be more volatile, particularly over the short term.

Value stock risk — The risk that the value of a security believed by the Manager to be undervalued may never reach what is believed to be its full value; such security’s value may decrease or such security may be appropriately priced. Value stocks are stocks of companies that may have experienced adverse business or industry developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the stocks to be out of favor and, in the opinion of the Manager, undervalued.

Limited number of securities risk — The possibility that a single security’s increase or decrease in value may have a greater impact on a portfolio's value and total return because the portfolio may hold larger positions in fewer securities than other portfolios. In addition, a portfolio that holds a limited number of securities may be more volatile than those portfolios that hold a greater number of securities.

Concentration risk — The risk that a concentration in a particular industry will cause a portfolio to be more exposed to developments affecting that single industry or industry group than a more broadly diversified portfolio would be. A portfolio could experience greater volatility or may perform poorly during a downturn in the industry or industry group because it may be more susceptible to economic, regulatory, political, legal and other risks associated with those industries than a fund that invests more broadly.

Foreign risk — The risk that foreign securities (particularly in emerging markets) may be adversely affected by political instability, changes in currency exchange rates, inefficient markets and higher transaction costs, foreign economic conditions, the imposition of economic or trade sanctions, or inadequate or different regulatory and accounting standards.

Currency risk — The risk that fluctuations in exchange rates between the US dollar and foreign currencies and between various foreign currencies may cause the value of an investment to decline.

Foreign currency exchange transactions and forward foreign currency contracts risk — The risk that a fund’s use of foreign currency exchange transactions and forward foreign currency contracts to hedge certain market risks (such as interest rates, currency exchange rates and broad or specific market movement) may increase the possibility of default by the counterparty to the transaction and, to the extent the Manager's judgment as to certain market movements is incorrect, the risk of losses that are greater than if the investment technique had not been used.

Emerging markets risk — The risk associated with international investing will be greater in emerging markets than in more developed foreign markets because, among other things, emerging markets may have less stable political and economic environments. In addition, there often is substantially less publicly available information about issuers and such information tends to be of a lesser quality. Economic markets and structures tend to be less mature and diverse and the securities markets may also be smaller, less liquid, and subject to greater price volatility.

Liquidity risk — The possibility that investments cannot be readily sold within seven calendar days at approximately the price at which a portfolio has valued them.

IBOR risk — The risk that changes related to the use of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) or similar interbank offered rates (“IBORs,” such as the Euro Overnight Index Average (EONIA)) could have adverse impacts on financial instruments that reference LIBOR or a similar rate. While some instruments may contemplate a scenario where LIBOR or a similar rate is no longer available by providing for an alternative rate setting methodology, not all instruments have such fallback provisions and the effectiveness of replacement rates is uncertain. The abandonment of LIBOR and similar rates could affect the value and liquidity of instruments that reference such rates, especially those that do not have fallback provisions. The use of alternative reference rate products may impact investment strategy performance.

Active management and selection risk — The risk that the securities selected by a portfolio's management will underperform the markets, the relevant indices, or the securities selected by other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies. The securities and sectors selected may vary from the securities and sectors included in the relevant index.

None of the entities noted in this document is an authorized deposit-taking institution for the purposes of the Banking Act 1959 (Commonwealth of Australia) and the obligations of these entities do not represent deposits or other liabilities of Macquarie Bank Limited ABN 46 008 583 542

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Summary prospectus

(Macquarie Bank). Macquarie Bank does not guarantee or otherwise provide assurance in respect of the obligations of these entities. In addition, if this document relates to an investment (a) each investor is subject to investment risk including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and principal invested and (b) none of Macquarie Bank or any other Macquarie Group company guarantees any particular rate of return on or the performance of the investment, nor do they guarantee repayment of capital in respect of the investment.

How has Delaware Ivy VIP Natural Resources performed?

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's performance from year to year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual total returns for the 1-, 5-, and 10-year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. Mackenzie Financial Corporation served as the investment subadviser to the Portfolio until July 1, 2013, at which time, Waddell & Reed Investment Management Company (WRIMCO) assumed direct investment management responsibilities for the Portfolio. On October 1, 2016, Ivy Investment Management Company, an affiliate of WRIMCO, became the Portfolio’s investment adviser. On April 30, 2021, the Portfolio became part of Delaware Funds by Macquarie​® and Delaware Management Company became the Portfolio’s investment manager. The returns shown from before April 30, 2021 are from the Portfolio’s prior investment managers. The Portfolio's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The returns reflect any expense caps in effect during these periods. The returns would be lower without the expense caps. You may obtain the Portfolio's most recently available month-end performance by calling 800 523-1918 or by visiting our website at delawarefunds.com/vip-performance.

Effective November 15, 2021, the Portfolio changed its investment strategy. Performance prior to November 15, 2021 reflects the Portfolio's former strategy; its performance may have differed if the Portfolio's current strategy had been in place.

Performance reflects all Portfolio expenses but does not include any fees or sales charges imposed by variable insurance contracts. If they had been included, the returns shown below would be lower. Investors should consult the variable contract prospectus for more information.

Calendar year-by-year total return (Class II)

During the periods illustrated in this bar chart, Class II’s highest quarterly return was 25.22% for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, and its lowest quarterly return was -38.30% for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.

Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2022

 

1 year

5 years

10 years

Class II

17.72%

1.98%

0.23%

S&P Global Natural Resources Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)​1

10.32%

7.34%

4.89%

S&P North American Natural Resources Sector Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

34.07%

7.13%

4.05%

 

1

Effective April 28, 2023, the Portfolio's new benchmark index is S&P Global Natural Resources Index. The Manager believes that this index is more consistent with the investment philosophy of the Portfolio and more reflective of the types of securities in which the Portfolio invests than the previous benchmark index.

Who manages the Portfolio?

Investment manager

Delaware Management Company, a series of Macquarie Investment Management Business Trust (a Delaware statutory trust)

Portfolio managers

Title with Delaware Management Company

Start date on the Portfolio

Samuel Halpert

Managing Director, Chief Investment Officer — Global Natural Resources Equity

November 2021

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Portfolio managers

Title with Delaware Management Company

Start date on the Portfolio

Geoffrey King

Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager — Global Natural Resources Equity

November 2021

Sub-advisor

Macquarie Investment Management Global Limited (MIMGL)

Purchase and redemption of Portfolio shares

Shares are sold, directly or indirectly, to separate accounts of life insurance companies at net asset value (NAV). Please refer to the variable annuity or variable life insurance product contract prospectus for more information about the purchase and redemption of shares.

Please refer to the Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information for more details regarding the purchase and sale of Fund shares.

Tax information

The dividends and distributions paid from the Portfolio to the insurance company separate accounts will consist of ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both. Because shares of the Portfolio must be purchased through separate accounts used to fund variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance contracts (variable contracts), such dividends and distributions will be exempt from current taxation by contract holders if left to accumulate within a separate account. You should refer to your variable contract prospectus for more information on these tax consequences.

Payments to broker/dealers and other financial intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Portfolio through a broker/dealer or other financial intermediary (such as an insurance company), the Portfolio and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Portfolio shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker/dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Portfolio over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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VIPSUM-GNR 4/23