PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT Among VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUNDS, FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS COMPANY LLC and NATIONWIDE LIFE_INSURANCE COMPANY, NATIONWIDE LIFE AND ANNUITY INSURANCE COMPANY, JEFFERSON NATIONAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, JEFFERSON NATIONAL LIFE...

PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT

Among

VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUNDS,

FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS COMPANY LLC

and

NATIONWIDE LIFE_INSURANCE COMPANY,

NATIONWIDE LIFE AND ANNUITY INSURANCE COMPANY,

JEFFERSON NATIONAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY,

JEFFERSON NATIONAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF NEW YORK

THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into as of the 11th day of October, 2023, by and among NATIONWIDE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, NATIONWIDE LIFE AND ANNUITY INSURANCE COMPANY, Ohio corporations, JEFFERSON NATIONAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, a Texas corporation, and JEFFERSON NATIONAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF NEW YORK, a New York corporation (hereinafter, collectively, the “Company”), on its own behalf and on behalf of each current and any future Company separate accounts (each such account hereinafter referred to as the “Account”); and FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS COMPANY LLC (hereinafter the “Underwriter”), a Massachusetts corporation; and each of VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND, VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND II, VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND III and VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND IV and VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND V each an unincorporated business trust organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (each referred to hereinafter as the “Fund”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, each Fund engages in business as an open-end management investment company and is available to act as the investment vehicle for separate accounts established for variable life insurance policies and variable annuity contracts (collectively, the “Variable Insurance Products”) and qualified pension and retirement plans within the meaning of Treasury Regulation section 1.817-5(f)(3)(iii) (“Qualified Plans”) to be offered by insurance companies which have entered into participation agreements with the Fund and the Underwriter (hereinafter “Participating Insurance Companies”); and

WHEREAS, the beneficial interest in each Fund is divided into several series of shares, each representing the interest in a particular managed portfolio of securities and other assets, any one or more of which may be made available under this Agreement, as may be amended from time to time by mutual agreement of the parties hereto (each such series hereinafter referred to as a “Portfolio”); and

WHEREAS, each Fund has obtained an order from the Securities and Exchange Commission, dated October 15, 1985 (File No. 812-6102) or September 17, 1986 (File No. 812-6422), granting Participating Insurance Companies and variable annuity and variable life insurance separate accounts exemptions from the provisions of sections 9(a), 13(a), 15(a), and 15(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (hereinafter the “1940 Act”) and Rules 6e-2(b) (15) and 6e-3(T) (b) (15) thereunder, to the extent necessary to permit shares of the Fund to be sold to and held by variable annuity and variable life insurance separate accounts of both affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies (hereinafter the “Shared Funding Exemptive Order”); and

WHEREAS, each Fund is registered as an open-end management investment company under the 1940 Act and its shares are registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (hereinafter the “1933 Act”); and

WHEREAS, Fidelity Management & Research Company (the “Adviser”) is duly registered as an investment adviser under the federal Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and any applicable state securities law; and

WHEREAS, the variable life insurance and/or variable annuity products issued by the Company (“Contracts”) have been or will be registered by the Company under the 1933 Act, unless such Contracts are exempt from registration thereunder; and

WHEREAS, each Account is a duly organized, validly existing separate account, established by resolution of the Board of Directors of the Company, on the date shown for such Account on Schedule A hereto, to set aside and invest assets attributable to the aforesaid Contracts; and

WHEREAS, the Company has registered or will register each Account as a unit investment trust under the 1940 Act, unless such Account is exempt from registration thereunder; and

WHEREAS, the Underwriter is registered as a broker dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (hereinafter the “1934 Act”), and is a member in good standing of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (hereinafter “FINRA”); and

WHEREAS, to the extent permitted by applicable insurance laws and regulations, the Company intends to purchase shares in the Portfolios on behalf of each Account to fund certain of the aforesaid Contracts and the Underwriter is authorized to sell such shares to each Account at net asset value;

AGREEMENT

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises, the Company, the Underwriter and each Fund agree as follows:

ARTICLE A. Termination of Agreements

This Agreement shall terminate and supersede any and all prior agreements, as amended, including the following agreements as of the date stated above among the Funds, Underwriter and Company with respect to all investments by the Company or its separate accounts in each Fund prior to the date of this Agreement, as though identical separate agreements had been executed by the parties hereto on the dates as indicated below.

Participation Agreement dated May 1, 1988, among Company, Underwriter and Variable Insurance Product Fund I

Participation Agreement dated July 15, 1989, among Company, Underwriter and Variable Insurance Product Fund II

Participation Agreement dated November 22, 1994, among Company, Underwriter and Variable Insurance Product Fund III

Participation Agreement dated November 3, 2010, among Company, Underwriter and Variable Insurance Product Funds I, II, III, IV, and V

Participation Agreement dated November 10, 2014, among Company, Underwriter and Variable Insurance Product Funds I, II, III, IV, and V

Although the parties have executed this Agreement in the form of a Master Participation Agreement for administrative convenience, this Agreement shall create a separate participation agreement for each Fund, as though the Company and the Underwriter had executed a separate, identical form of participation agreement with each Fund. No rights, responsibilities or liabilities of any Fund shall be attributed to any other Fund.

ARTICLE I. Sale of Fund Shares

1.1. The Underwriter agrees to sell to the Company those shares of the Fund which each Account orders, executing such orders on a daily basis at the net asset value next computed after receipt by the Fund or its designee of the order for the shares of the Fund. For purposes of this Section 1.1, the Company shall be the designee of the Fund for receipt of such orders from each Account and receipt by such designee shall

constitute receipt by the Fund; provided that the Fund receives notice of such order by 9:00 a.m. Eastern time on the next following Business Day. Beginning within three months of the effective date of this Agreement, the Company agrees that all orders for the purchase and redemption of Fund shares on behalf of the Accounts will be placed by the Company with the Funds or their transfer agent by electronic transmission. In the event of equipment failure, technical malfunction or either party’s inability to otherwise perform transactions by electronic transmission, the parties agree to use the manual processing procedures in Schedule C attached hereto.

“Business Day” shall mean any day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading and on which the Fund calculates its net asset value pursuant to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

1.2. The Fund agrees to make its shares available indefinitely for purchase at the applicable net asset value per share by the Company and its Accounts on those days on which the Fund calculates its net asset value pursuant to rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Fund shall use reasonable efforts to calculate such net asset value on each day which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Trustees of the Fund (hereinafter the “Board”) may refuse to sell shares of any Portfolio to any person, or suspend or terminate the offering of shares of any Portfolio if such action is required by law or by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction or is, in the sole discretion of the Board acting in good faith and in light of their fiduciary duties under federal and any applicable state laws, necessary in the best interests of the shareholders of such Portfolio.

1.3. The Fund and the Underwriter agree that shares of the Fund will be sold only to Participating Insurance Companies and their separate accounts and Qualified Plans. No shares of any Portfolio will be sold to the general public.

1.4. The Fund and the Underwriter will not sell Fund shares to any insurance company, separate account or Qualified Plan unless an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as Articles I, III, V, VII and Section 2.5 of Article II of this Agreement is in effect to govern such sales.

1.5. The Fund agrees to redeem for cash, on the Company’s request, any full or fractional shares of the Fund held by the Company, executing such requests on a daily basis at the net asset value next computed after receipt by the Fund or its designee of the request for redemption. For purposes of this Section 1.5, the Company shall be the designee of the Fund for receipt of requests for redemption from each Account and receipt by such designee shall constitute receipt by the Fund; provided that the Fund receives notice of such request for redemption on the next following Business Day. This section shall not apply to VIP Fund shares or share classes that are subject to redemption fees. The Company shall not purchase or redeem VIP Fund shares that are subject to redemption fees, including shares of Portfolios or share classes that later become subject to redemption fees, in the absence of an additional written agreement signed by all parties. If the Company attempts to purchase or redeem VIP Fund shares that are subject to redemption fees or will become subject to redemption fees in the future, the Fund shall promptly notify Company of the stipulations set forth in this Section 1.5.

1.6. The Company agrees that purchases and redemptions of Portfolio shares offered by the then current prospectus of the Fund shall be made in accordance with the provisions of such prospectus.

1.7. The Company shall pay for Fund shares on the next Business Day after an order to purchase Fund shares is made in accordance with the provisions of Section 1.1 hereof. Payment shall be in federal funds transmitted by wire. For purpose of Section 2.10 and 2.11, upon receipt by the Fund of the federal funds so wired, such funds shall cease to be the responsibility of the Company and shall become the responsibility of the Fund.

1.8. Issuance and transfer of the Fund’s shares will be by book entry only. Stock certificates will not be issued to the Company or any Account. Shares ordered from the Fund will be recorded in an appropriate title for each Account or the appropriate subaccount of each Account.

1.9. The Fund shall furnish same day notice (by wire telephone, or electronic format, followed by written confirmation) to the Company of any income, dividends or capital gain distributions payable on the Fund’s shares. The Company hereby elects to receive all such income dividends and capital gain distributions as are payable on the Portfolio shares in additional shares of that Portfolio. The Company reserves the right to revoke this election and to receive all such income dividends and capital gain distributions in cash. The Fund shall notify the Company of the number of shares so issued as payment of such dividends and distributions.

1.10. The Fund shall make the net asset value per share for each Portfolio available to the Company on a daily basis as soon as reasonably practical after the net asset value per share is calculated (normally by 6:30 p.m. Eastern time) and shall use its best efforts to make such net asset value per share available by 7 p.m. Eastern time.

1.11. The parties agree that the Portfolios are not intended to serve as vehicles for frequent transfers in response to short-term stock market fluctuations.

A. Accordingly, the Company represents and warrants that:

(a) all purchase and redemption orders it provides under this Article I shall result solely from Contract Owner transactions fully received and recorded by the Company before the time as of which each applicable VIP Portfolio net asset value was calculated (currently 4:00 p.m. e.s.t);

(b) Company has policies and procedures in effect to detect and deter short-term or disruptive trading practices (“Market Timing”). Company and the Trust acknowledge that Nationwide shall apply its own trade monitoring and restriction policies and procedures to trading of Fund Shares hereunder which may differ from the criteria set forth in the Trust’s prospectuses and SAIs. Nationwide will comply with the terms and conditions of the Rule 22c-2 Shareholder Information Agreement dated March 27, 2007.

(c) any annuity contract forms or variable life insurance policy forms not in use at the time of execution of this Agreement, but added to in the future via amendment of Schedule A hereto, will contain language reserving to the Company the right to refuse to accept instructions from persons that engage in market timing or other excessive or disruptive trading activity.

1.12

A. Company agrees to comply with its obligations under applicable anti-money laundering (“AML”) laws, rules and regulations, including but not limited to its obligations under the United States Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, as amended (by the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and other laws), and the rules, regulations and official guidance issued thereunder (collectively, the “BSA”).

B. Company agrees to provide its full business name, principal place of business, and Employer Identification Number (“EIN”) prior to execution of this Agreement to allow Underwriter to verify Company’s identity pursuant to the BSA.

C. The Company agrees to undertake inquiry and due diligence regarding the customers to whom the Company offers and/or sells Portfolio shares or on whose behalf the Company purchases Portfolio shares. You further represent that the inquiry and due diligence are reasonably designed to determine whether the Company is prohibited from dealing with any such customer by (i) economic sanctions administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) (collectively, the “Sanctions”); or (ii) any of the Special Measures under 31 USC 5318 A of the Bank Secrecy Act (“Special Measures”).

D. The Company hereby represents, covenants and warrants to the Fund and the Underwriter that neither the Company nor any of the Company’s affiliates maintain offices in any country or territory to which any of the Sanctions or Special Measures prohibit the export of financial services.

E. The Company agrees to notify the Fund and the Underwriter or the Portfolios’ transfer agent promptly when and if it learns that the establishment or maintenance of any account holding Portfolio shares or a transaction in Portfolio shares violates any of the Sanctions or Special Measures.

ARTICLE II. Representations and Warranties

2.1. The Company represents and warrants that the Contracts are or will be registered under the 1933 Act or are exempt from registration thereunder; that the Contracts will be issued and sold in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Federal and State laws and that the sale of the Contracts shall comply in all material respects with state insurance suitability requirements of Insurers. The Company further represents and warrants that it is an insurance company duly organized and in good standing under applicable law and that it has legally and validly established each Account prior to any issuance or sale thereof as a segregated asset account and that each Account is either registered or exempt from registration as a unit investment trust in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act to serve as a segregated investment account for the Contracts.

2.2. The Fund represents and warrants that Fund shares sold pursuant to this Agreement shall be registered under the 1933 Act, duly authorized for issuance and sold in compliance with the laws of the State of Ohio and all applicable federal and state securities laws and that the Fund is and shall remain registered under the 1940 Act. The Fund shall amend the Registration Statement for its shares under the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act from time to time as required in order to effect the continuous offering of its shares. Absent written notification to the contrary, the Underwriter has taken all necessary steps such that the shares of each Portfolio may be lawfully offered and sold by Company in all 50 states and U.S. jurisdictions including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The Fund shall register and qualify the shares for sale in accordance with the laws of the various states only if and to the extent deemed advisable by the Fund or the Underwriter.

2.3. The Fund represents that it is currently qualified as a Regulated Investment Company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the “Code”) and that it will make every effort to maintain such qualification (under Subchapter M or any successor or similar provision) and that it will notify the Company immediately upon having a reasonable basis for believing that it has ceased to so qualify or that it might not so qualify in the future.

2.4. The Company represents that the Contracts are currently treated as endowment, life insurance or annuity insurance contracts, under applicable provisions of the Code and that it will make every effort to maintain such treatment and that it will notify the Fund and the Underwriter immediately upon having a reasonable basis for believing that the Contracts have ceased to be so treated or that they might not be so treated in the future.

2.5. (a) With respect to Initial Class shares and Investor Class shares, the Fund currently does not intend to make any payments to finance distribution expenses pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act or otherwise, although it may make such payments in the future. The Fund has adopted a “no fee” or “defensive” Rule 12b-1 Plan under which it makes no payments for distribution expenses. To the extent that it decides to finance distribution expenses pursuant to Rule 12b-1, the Fund undertakes to have a board of trustees, a majority of whom are not interested persons of the Fund, formulate and approve any plan under Rule 12b-1 to finance distribution expenses.

(b) With respect to Service Class shares and Service Class 2 shares, the Fund has adopted Rule 12b-1 Plans under which it makes payments to finance distribution expenses. The Fund represents and warrants that it has a board of trustees, a majority of whom are not interested persons of the Fund, which has formulated and approved each of its Rule 12b-1 Plans to finance distribution expenses of the Fund and that any changes to the Fund’s Rule 12b-1 Plans will be approved by a similarly constituted board of trustees.

2.6. The Fund makes no representation as to whether any aspect of its operations (including, but not limited to, fees and expenses and investment policies) complies with the insurance laws or regulations of the various states except that the Fund represents that the Fund’s investment policies, fees and expenses are and shall at all times remain in compliance with the laws of the State of Ohio and the Fund and the Underwriter represent that their respective operations are and shall at all times remain in material compliance with the laws of the State of Ohio to the extent required to perform this Agreement.

2.7. The Underwriter represents and warrants that it is a member in good standing of the FINRA and is registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC. The Underwriter further represents that it will sell and distribute the Fund shares in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and all applicable state and federal securities laws, including without limitation the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, and the 1940 Act.

2.8. The Fund represents that it is lawfully organized and validly existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that it does and will comply in all material respects with the 1940 Act.

2.9. The Underwriter represents and warrants that the Adviser is and shall remain duly registered in all material respects under all applicable federal and state securities laws and that the Adviser shall perform its obligations for the Fund in compliance in all material respects with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and any applicable state and federal securities laws.

2.10. The Fund and Underwriter represent and warrant that all of their directors, officers, employees, investment advisers, and other individuals/entities dealing with the money and/or securities of the Fund are and shall continue to be at all times covered by a blanket fidelity bond or similar coverage for the benefit of the Fund in an amount not less than the minimal coverage as required currently by Rule 17g-(1) of the 1940 Act or related provisions as may be promulgated from time to time. The aforesaid Bond shall include coverage for larceny and embezzlement and shall be issued by a reputable bonding company.

2.11. The Company represents and warrants that all of its directors, officers, employees, investment advisers, and other individuals/entities dealing with the money and/or securities of the Fund are covered by a blanket fidelity bond or similar coverage for the benefit of the Fund, and that said bond is issued by a reputable bonding company, includes coverage for larceny and embezzlement, and is in an amount not less than $5 million. The Company agrees to make all reasonable efforts to see that this bond or another bond containing these provisions is always in effect, and agrees to notify the Fund and the Underwriter in the event that such coverage no longer applies.

ARTICLE III. Prospectuses and Proxy Statements; Voting

3.1. The Underwriter shall provide the Company with as many printed copies of the Fund’s current prospectus (and any supplements thereto), as the Company may reasonably request. Or, if requested by the Company, the Fund shall provide electronic format containing the Fund’s prospectus, Statement of Additional Information and/or shareholder reports, and such other assistance as is reasonably necessary in order for the Company once each year (or more frequently if the prospectus and/or Statement of Additional Information for the Fund is amended during the year) to have the prospectus, private offering memorandum or other disclosure document (“Disclosure Document”) for the Contracts and the Fund’s prospectus printed together in one document, and to have the Statement of Additional Information for the Fund and the Statement of Additional Information for the Contracts printed together in one document. Alternatively, the Company may print the Fund’s prospectus and/or its Statement of Additional Information in combination with other fund companies’ prospectuses and statements of additional information. Except as provided in the following three sentences, all expenses of printing and distributing Fund prospectuses shall be the expense of the Company. For prospectuses provided by the Company to its existing owners of Contracts in order to update disclosure annually as required by the 1933 Act and/or the 1940 Act, the cost of printing shall be borne by the Fund. If the Company chooses to electronic format in lieu of receiving printed copies of the Fund’s prospectus, the Fund will reimburse the Company in an amount equal to the product of A and B where A is the number of such prospectuses distributed to owners of the Contracts, and B is the Fund’s per unit cost of printing the Fund’s prospectus.

The Fund will, upon request, provide the Company with a copy of each Fund’s prospectus through electronic means to facilitate the Company’s efforts to provide Fund prospectuses via electronic delivery.

The Company agrees to provide the Fund or its designee with such information as may be reasonably requested by the Fund to assure that the Fund’s expenses do not include the cost of printing any prospectuses or Statements of Additional Information other than those actually distributed to existing owners of the Contracts.

3.2. The Fund’s prospectus shall state that the Statement of Additional Information for the Fund is available from the Underwriter or the Company (or in the Fund’s discretion, the Prospectus shall state that such Statement is available from the Fund).

3.3. The Fund, at its expense, shall provide the Company with copies of its proxy statements, reports to shareholders, and other communications (except for prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information, which are covered in Section 3.1) to shareholders in such quantity as the Company shall reasonably require for distributing to Contract owners.

3.4. If and to the extent required by law the Company shall:

(i)

solicit voting instructions from Contract owners;

(ii)

vote the Fund shares in accordance with instructions received from Contract owners; and

(iii)

vote Fund shares for which no instructions have been received in a particular separate account in the same proportion as Fund shares of such portfolio for which instructions have been received in that separate account,

so long as and to the extent that the Securities and Exchange Commission continues to interpret the 1940 Act to require pass-through voting privileges for variable contract owners. The Company reserves the right to vote Fund shares held in any segregated asset account in its own right, to the extent permitted by law. Participating Insurance Companies shall be responsible for assuring that each of their separate accounts participating in the Fund calculates voting privileges in a manner consistent with the standards set forth on Schedule B attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference, which standards will also be provided to the other Participating Insurance Companies.

3.5. The Fund will comply with all provisions of the 1940 Act requiring voting by shareholders, and in particular the Fund will either provide for annual meetings or comply with Section 16(c) of the 1940 Act (although the Fund is not one of the trusts described in Section 16(c) of that Act) as well as with Sections 16(a) and, if and when applicable, 16(b). Further, the Fund will act in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s interpretation of the requirements of Section 16(a) with respect to periodic elections of trustees and with whatever rules the Commission may promulgate with respect thereto.

ARTICLE IV. Sales Material and Information

4.1. The Company shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the Fund or its designee, each piece of sales literature or other promotional material in which the Fund or its investment adviser or the Underwriter is named, at least fifteen Business Days prior to its use. No such material shall be used if the Fund or its designee reasonably objects to such use within fifteen Business Days after receipt of such material. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may identify the Funds in a list of available underlying investment options to Contracts offered by Company.

4.2. The Company shall not give any information or make any representations or statements on behalf of the Fund or concerning the Fund in connection with the sale of the Contracts other than the information or representations contained in the registration statement or prospectus for the Fund shares, as such registration statement and prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time to time, or in reports or proxy statements for the Fund, or in sales literature or other promotional material approved by the Fund or its designee or by the Underwriter, except with the permission of the Fund or the Underwriter or the designee of either.

4.3. The Fund, Underwriter, or its designee shall furnish, or shall cause to be furnished, to the Company or its designee, each piece of sales literature or other promotional material in which the Company and/or its separate account(s), is named at least fifteen Business Days prior to its use. No such material shall be used if the Company or its designee reasonably objects to such use within fifteen Business Days after receipt of such material.

4.4. The Fund and the Underwriter shall not give any information or make any representations on behalf of the Company or concerning the Company, each Account, or the Contracts other than the information or representations contained in a registration statement or Disclosure Document for the Contracts, as such registration statement or Disclosure Document may be amended or supplemented from time to time, or in published reports for each Account which are in the public domain or approved by the Company for distribution to Contract owners, or in sales literature or other promotional material approved by the Company or its designee, except with the permission of the Company.

4.5. The Fund will provide to the Company at least one complete copy of all registration statements, prospectuses, Statements of Additional Information, reports, proxy statements, sales literature and other promotional materials, applications for exemptions, requests for no-action letters, and all amendments to any of the above, that relate to the Fund or its shares, contemporaneously with the filing of such document with the Securities and Exchange Commission or other regulatory authorities.

4.6. The Company will provide to the Fund at least one complete copy of all registration statements, Disclosure Documents, Statements of Additional Information, reports, solicitations for voting instructions, sales literature and other promotional materials, applications for exemptions, requests for no action letters, and all amendments to any of the above, that materially affect the Fund, the Contracts or each Account, contemporaneously with the filing of such document with the SEC or other regulatory authorities or, if a Contract and its associated Account are exempt from registration, at the time such documents are first published.

4.7. For purposes of this Article IV, the phrase “sales literature or other promotional material” includes, but is not limited to, any of the following that refer to the Fund or any affiliate of the Fund: advertisements (such as material published, or designed for use in, a newspaper, magazine, or other periodical, radio, television, telephone or tape recording, videotape display, signs or billboards, motion pictures, telephone directories (other than routine listings), electronic or other public media), sales literature (i.e., any written communication distributed or made generally available to customers or the public, including brochures, circulars, research reports, market letters, performance reports or summaries, form letters, telemarketing scripts, seminar texts, reprints or excerpts of any other advertisement, sales literature, or published article), educational or training materials or other communications distributed or made generally available to some or all agents or employees, and registration statements, Disclosure Documents, Statements of Additional Information, shareholder reports, and proxy materials.

4.8. The Company shall have permission to use the Underwriters name and logo in the marketing of the Fund, provided that the Company has furnished to the Underwriter for review, prior to any use, all materials bearing the name or logo of the Underwriter (collectively “Materials”). The Company shall not use any Materials without receiving prior written approval therefor. If the Company or the Fund makes any unauthorized use of the Underwriters name or logo, the parties acknowledge that the Underwriter and its affiliates would suffer harm for which monetary damage may be inadequate and, thus, the Underwriter or its affiliates shall be entitled to seek equitable relief as well as other applicable remedies under this Agreement or under the law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may use the Underwriter’s name where such use is necessary to make the disclosures contained in the Fund material not misleading and the Company provides the Underwriter with notice of any required disclosure. Furthermore, the parties agree that the Company shall be entitled to use the Underwriter’s name when referring to the Underwriter as Fund’s investment adviser, as a simple statement of fact without the need to seek the Underwriter’s prior written consent. For purposes of this clause, the Underwriter must always be referred to as “FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS COMPANY LLC”. The Underwriter must never be referred to solely as “Fidelity”. Upon termination of this Agreement, the Company and the Fund shall immediately cease all use of any Materials bearing the Underwriter’s name or logo, and the Company will either provide to the Underwriter all such Materials or certify as to the destruction of all such Materials.

Notwithstanding clause 8.2 of the Agreement, the Company agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter (and its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents) from and against any and all third party claims, actions, proceedings, judgments, liabilities, damages, losses, costs and expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable legal fees and expenses in relation thereto) directly suffered or incurred by them or any of them, that arise in connection with the Company’s use of any of the Underwriter’s name or logo.

ARTICLE V. Fees and Expenses

5.1. The Fund and Underwriter shall pay no fee or other compensation to the Company under this agreement, except that if the Fund or any Portfolio adopts and implements a plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 to finance distribution expenses, then the Underwriter may make payments to the Company or to the underwriter for the Contracts if and in amounts agreed to by the Underwriter in writing and such payments will be made out of existing fees otherwise payable to the Underwriter, past profits of the Underwriter or other resources available to the Underwriter. No such payments shall be made directly by the Fund.

5.2. All expenses incident to performance by the Fund under this Agreement shall be paid by the Fund. The Fund shall see to it that all its shares are registered and authorized for issuance in accordance with applicable federal law and, if and to the extent deemed advisable by the Fund, in accordance with applicable state laws prior to their sale. The Fund shall bear the expenses for the cost of registration and qualification of the Fund’s shares, preparation and filing of the Fund’s prospectus and registration statement, proxy materials and reports, setting the prospectus in type, setting in type and printing the proxy materials and reports to shareholders (including the costs of printing a prospectus that constitutes an annual report), the preparation of all statements and notices required by any federal or state law, and all taxes on the issuance or transfer of the Fund’s shares.

5.3. The Company shall bear the expenses of distributing the Fund’s prospectus and reports to owners of Contracts issued by the Company. The Fund shall bear the costs of soliciting Fund proxies from Contract owners, including the costs of mailing proxy materials and tabulating proxy voting instructions, not to exceed the costs charged by any service provider engaged by the Fund for this purpose. The Fund and the Underwriter shall not be responsible for the costs of any proxy solicitations other than proxies sponsored by the Fund.

ARTICLE VI. Diversification

6.1. The Fund will at all times invest money from the Contracts in such a manner as to ensure that the Contracts will be treated as variable contracts under the Code and the regulations issued thereunder. Without limiting the scope of the foregoing, the Fund will at all times comply with Section 817(h) of the Code and Treasury Regulation 1.817-5, relating to the diversification requirements for variable annuity, endowment, or life insurance contracts and any amendments or other modifications to such Section or Regulations. In the event of a breach of this Article VI by the Fund, it will take all reasonable steps (a) to notify Company of such breach and (b) to adequately diversify the Fund so as to achieve compliance within the grace period afforded by Regulation 1.817-5.

ARTICLE VII. Potential Conflicts

7.1. The Board will monitor the Fund for the existence of any material irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the contract owners of all separate accounts investing in the Fund. An irreconcilable material conflict may arise for a variety of reasons, including: (a) an action by any state insurance regulatory authority; (b) a change in applicable federal or state insurance, tax, or securities laws or regulations, or a public ruling, private letter ruling, no-action or interpretative letter, or any similar action by insurance, tax, or securities regulatory authorities; (c) an administrative or judicial decision in any relevant proceeding; (d) the manner in which the investments of any Portfolio are being managed; (e) a difference in voting instructions given by variable annuity contract and variable life insurance contract owners; or (f) a decision by an insurer to disregard the voting instructions of contract owners. The Board shall promptly inform the Company if it determines that an irreconcilable material conflict exists and the implications thereof.

7.2. The Company will report any potential or existing conflicts of which it is aware to the Board. The Company will assist the Board in carrying out its responsibilities under the Shared Funding Exemptive Order, by providing the Board with all information reasonably necessary for the Board to consider any issues raised. This includes, but is not limited to, an obligation by the Company to inform the Board whenever contract owner voting instructions are disregarded.

7.3. If it is determined by a majority of the Board, or a majority of its disinterested trustees, that a material irreconcilable conflict exists, the Company and other Participating Insurance Companies shall, at their expense and to the extent reasonably practicable (as determined by a majority of the disinterested trustees), take whatever steps are necessary to remedy or eliminate the irreconcilable material conflict, up to and including: (1), withdrawing the assets allocable to some or all of the separate accounts from the Fund or any Portfolio and reinvesting such assets in a different investment medium, including (but not limited to) another Portfolio of the Fund, or submitting the question whether such segregation should be implemented to a vote of all affected Contract owners and, as appropriate, segregating the assets of any appropriate group (i.e., annuity contract owners, life insurance contract owners, or variable contract owners of one or more Participating Insurance Companies) that votes in favor of such segregation, or offering to the affected contract owners the option of making such a change; and (2), establishing a new registered management investment company or managed separate account.

7.4. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because of a decision by the Company to disregard contract owner voting instructions and that decision represents a minority position or would preclude a majority vote, the Company may be required, at the Fund’s election, to withdraw the affected Account’s investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement with respect to such Account; provided, however that such withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the extent required by the foregoing

material irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the disinterested members of the Board. Any such withdrawal and termination must take place within six (6) months after the Fund gives written notice that this provision is being implemented, and until the end of that six month period the Underwriter and Fund shall continue to accept and implement orders by the Company for the purchase (and redemption) of shares of the Fund.

7.5. If a material irreconcilable conflict arises because a particular state insurance regulator’s decision applicable to the Company conflicts with the majority of other state regulators, then the Company will withdraw the affected Account’s investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement with respect to such Account within six months after the Board informs the Company in writing that it has determined that such decision has created an irreconcilable material conflict; provided, however, that such withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the extent required by the foregoing material irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the disinterested members of the Board. Until the end of the foregoing six month period, the Underwriter and Fund shall continue to accept and implement orders by the Company for the purchase (and redemption) of shares of the Fund.

7.6. For purposes of Sections 7.3 through 7.6 of this Agreement, a majority of the disinterested members of the Board shall determine whether any proposed action adequately remedies any irreconcilable material conflict, but in no event will the Fund be required to establish a new funding medium for the Contracts. The Company shall not be required by Section 7.3 to establish a new funding medium for the Contracts if an offer to do so has been declined by vote of a majority of Contract owners materially adversely affected by the irreconcilable material conflict. In the event that the Board determines that any proposed action does not adequately remedy any irreconcilable material conflict, then the Company will withdraw the Account’s investment in the Fund and terminate this Agreement within six (6) months after the Board informs the Company in writing of the foregoing determination, provided, however, that such withdrawal and termination shall be limited to the extent required by any such material irreconcilable conflict as determined by a majority of the disinterested members of the Board.

7.7. If and to the extent that Rule 6e-2 and Rule 6e-3(T) are amended, or Rule 6e-3 is adopted, to provide exemptive relief from any provision of the Act or the rules promulgated thereunder with respect to mixed or shared funding (as defined in the Shared Funding Exemptive Order) on terms and conditions materially different from those contained in the Shared Funding Exemptive Order, then (a) the Fund and/or the Participating Insurance Companies, as appropriate, shall take such steps as may be necessary to comply with Rules 6e-2 and 6e-3(T), as amended, and Rule 6e-3, as adopted, to the extent such rules are applicable; and (b) Sections 3.4, 3.5, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5 of this Agreement shall continue in effect only to the extent that terms and conditions substantially identical to such Sections are contained in such Rule(s) as so amended or adopted.

ARTICLE VIII. Indemnification

8.1. Indemnification By The Company

8.1(a). The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Fund and each trustee of the Board and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Fund within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties” for purposes of this Section 8.1) against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of the Company) or litigation (including legal and other expenses), to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any statute, regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements are related to the sale or acquisition of, or investment in, the Fund’s shares or the Contracts and:

(i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statements or alleged untrue statements of any material fact contained in the Disclosure Documents for the Contracts or contained in the Contracts or sales literature for the Contracts (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, provided that this agreement to indemnify shall not apply as to any Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such alleged statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Fund for use in any Disclosure Document relating to the Contracts or in the Contracts or sales literature (or any amendment or supplement) or otherwise for use in connection with the sale of the Contracts or Fund shares; or

(ii) arise out of or as a result of statements or representations (other than statements or representations contained in the registration statement, prospectus or sales literature of the Fund not supplied by the Company, or persons under its control) or wrongful conduct of the Company or persons under its control, with respect to the sale or distribution of the Contracts or Fund Shares; or

(iii) arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement, prospectus, or sales literature of the Fund or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading if such a statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Fund by or on behalf of the Company; or

(iv) arise as a result of any failure by the Company to provide the services and furnish the materials under the terms of this Agreement, if applicable; or

(v) arise out of or result from any material breach of any representation and/or warranty made by the Company in this Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material breach of this Agreement by the Company,

as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.1(b) and 8.1(c) hereof.

8.1(b). The Company shall not be liable under this indemnification provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation incurred or assessed against an Indemnified Party as such may arise from such Indemnified Party’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party’s duties or by reason of such Indemnified Party’s reckless disregard of obligations or duties under this Agreement or to the Fund, whichever is applicable.

8.1(c). The Company shall not be liable under this indemnification provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Company in writing within a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the Company of any such claim shall not relieve the Company from any liability which it may have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than on account of this indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought against the Indemnified Parties, the Company shall be entitled to participate, at its own expense, in the defense of such action. The Company also shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party named in the action. After notice from the Company to such party of the Company’s election to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by it, and the Company will not be liable to such party under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such party independently in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.

8.1(d). The Indemnified Parties will promptly notify the Company of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against them in connection with the issuance or sale of the Fund Shares or the Contracts or the operation of the Fund.

8.2. Indemnification by the Underwriter

8.2(a). The Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each of its directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties” for purposes of this Section 8.2) against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of the

Underwriter) or litigation (including legal and other expenses) to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any statute, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements are related to the sale or acquisition of, or investment in, the Fund’s shares or the Contracts and:

(i)

arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the registration statement or prospectus or sales literature of the Fund (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing), or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, provided that this agreement to indemnify shall not apply as to any Indemnified Party if such statement or omission or such alleged statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Underwriter or Fund by or on behalf of the Company for use in the registration statement or prospectus for the Fund or in sales literature (or any amendment or supplement) or otherwise for use in connection with the sale of the Contracts or Fund shares; or

(ii)

arise out of or as a result of statements or representations (other than statements or representations contained in the Registration Statement, prospectus or sales literature for the Contracts not supplied by the Underwriter or persons under its control) or wrongful conduct of the Fund, Adviser or Underwriter or persons under their control, with respect to the sale or distribution of the Contracts or Fund shares; or

(iii)

arise out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in a Disclosure Document or sales literature covering the Contracts, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statement or statements therein not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Fund; or

(iv)

arise as a result of any failure by the Fund to provide the services and furnish the materials under the terms of this Agreement (including a failure, whether unintentional or in good faith or otherwise, to comply with the diversification requirements specified in Article VI of this Agreement); or

(v)

arise out of or result from any material breach of any representation and/or warranty made by the Underwriter in this Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material breach of this Agreement by the Underwriter;

as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.2(b) and 8.2(c) hereof.

8.2(b). The Underwriter shall not be liable under this indemnification provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation to which an Indemnified Party would otherwise be subject by reason of such Indemnified Party’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party’s duties or by reason of such Indemnified Party’s reckless disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement or to each Company or the Account, whichever is applicable.

8.2(c). The Underwriter shall not be liable under this indemnification provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Underwriter in writing within a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the Underwriter of any such claim shall not relieve the Underwriter from any liability which it may have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than on account of this indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought against the Indemnified Parties, the Underwriter will be entitled to participate, at its own expense, in the defense thereof. The Underwriter also shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party named in the action. After notice from the Underwriter to such party of the Underwriter’s election to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by it, and the Underwriter will not be liable to such party under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such party independently in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.

8.2(d). The Company agrees promptly to notify the Underwriter of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its officers or directors in connection with the issuance or sale of the Contracts or the operation of each Account.

8.3. Indemnification By the Fund

8.3(a). The Fund agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, and each of its directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties” for purposes of this Section 8.3) against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (including amounts paid in settlement with the written consent of the Fund) or litigation

(including legal and other expenses) to which the Indemnified Parties may become subject under any statute, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) or settlements result from the gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of the Board or any member thereof, are related to the operations of the Fund and:

(i)

arise as a result of any failure by the Fund to provide the services and furnish the materials under the terms of this Agreement (including a failure to comply with the diversification requirements specified in Article VI of this Agreement);or

(ii)

arise out of or result from any material breach of any representation and/or warranty made by the Fund in this Agreement or arise out of or result from any other material breach of this Agreement by the Fund;

as limited by and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8.3(b) and 8.3(c) hereof.

8.3(b). The Fund shall not be liable under this indemnification provision with respect to any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or litigation incurred or assessed against an Indemnified Party as such may arise from such Indemnified Party’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of such Indemnified Party’s duties or by reason of such Indemnified Party’s reckless disregard of obligations and duties under this Agreement or to the Company, the Fund, the Underwriter or each Account, whichever is applicable.

8.3(c). The Fund shall not be liable under this indemnification provision with respect to any claim made against an Indemnified Party unless such Indemnified Party shall have notified the Fund in writing within a reasonable time after the summons or other first legal process giving information of the nature of the claim shall have been served upon such Indemnified Party (or after such Indemnified Party shall have received notice of such service on any designated agent), but failure to notify the Fund of any such claim shall not relieve the Fund from any liability which it may have to the Indemnified Party against whom such action is brought otherwise than on account of this indemnification provision. In case any such action is brought against the Indemnified Parties, the Fund will be entitled to participate, at its own expense, in the defense thereof. The Fund also shall be entitled to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to the party named in the action. After notice from the Fund to such party of the Fund’s election to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnified Party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel retained by it, and the Fund will not be liable to such party under this Agreement for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such party independently in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.

8.3(d). The Company and the Underwriter agree promptly to notify the Fund of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it or any of its respective officers or directors in connection with this Agreement, the issuance or sale of the Contracts, with respect to the operation of either Account, or the sale or acquisition of shares of the Fund.

ARTICLE IX. Applicable Law

9.1. This Agreement shall be construed and the provisions hereof interpreted under and in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

9.2. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of the 1933, 1934 and 1940 acts, and the rules and regulations and rulings thereunder, including such exemptions from those statutes, rules and regulations as the Securities and Exchange Commission may grant (including, but not limited to, the Shared Funding Exemptive Order) and the terms hereof shall be interpreted and construed in accordance therewith.

ARTICLE X. Termination

10.1. This Agreement shall continue in full force and effect until the first to occur of:

(a)

termination by any party for any reason by sixty (60) days advance written notice delivered to the other parties; or

(b)

termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio based upon the Company’s determination that shares of such Portfolio are not reasonably available to meet the requirements of the Contracts; or

(c)

termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio in the event any of the Portfolio’s shares are not registered, issued or sold in accordance with applicable state and/or federal law or such law precludes the use of such shares as the underlying investment media of the Contracts issued or to be issued by the Company; or

(d)

termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio in the event that such Portfolio ceases to qualify as a Regulated Investment Company under Subchapter M of the Code or under any successor or similar provision, or if the Company reasonably believes that the Fund may fail to so qualify; or

(e)

termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the Underwriter with respect to any Portfolio in the event that such Portfolio fails to meet the diversification requirements specified in Article VI hereof; or

(f)

termination by either the Fund or the Underwriter by written notice to the Company, if either one or both of the Fund or the Underwriter respectively, shall determine, in their sole judgment exercised in good faith, that the Company and/or its affiliated companies has suffered a material adverse change in its business, operations, financial condition or prospects since the date of this Agreement or is the subject of material adverse publicity; or

(g)

termination by the Company by written notice to the Fund and the Underwriter, if the Company shall determine, in its sole judgment exercised in good faith, that either the Fund or the Underwriter has suffered a material adverse change in its business, operations, financial condition or prospects since the date of this Agreement or is the subject of material adverse publicity; or

10.2. Notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, the Fund and the Underwriter shall at the option of the Company, continue to make available additional shares of the Fund pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, for all Contracts in effect on the effective date of termination of this Agreement (hereinafter referred to as “Existing Contracts”). Specifically, without limitation, the owners of the Existing Contracts shall be permitted to reallocate investments in the Fund, redeem investments in the Fund and/or invest in the Fund upon the making of additional purchase payments under the Existing Contracts. The parties agree that this Section 10.2 shall not apply to any terminations under Article VII and the effect of such Article VII terminations shall be governed by Article VII of this Agreement.

10.3. The provisions of Articles II (Representations and Warranties), VIII (Indemnification), IX (Applicable Law) and XII (Miscellaneous) shall survive termination of this Agreement. In addition, all other applicable provisions of this Agreement shall survive termination as long as shares of the Fund are held on behalf of Contract owners in accordance with section 10.2, except that the Fund and Underwriter shall have no further obligation to make Fund shares available in Contracts issued after termination.

10.4. The Company shall not redeem Fund shares attributable to the Contracts (as opposed to Fund shares attributable to the Company’s assets held in the Account) except (i) as necessary to implement Contract Owner initiated or approved transactions, or (ii) as required by state and/or federal laws or regulations or judicial or other legal precedent of general application (hereinafter referred to as a “Legally Required Redemption”) or (iii) as permitted by an order of the SEC pursuant to Section

26(c) of the 1940 Act or SEC guidance related thereto. Upon request, the Company will promptly furnish to the Fund and the Underwriter the opinion of counsel for the Company (which counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Fund and the Underwriter) to the effect that any redemption pursuant to clause (ii) above is a Legally Required Redemption. Furthermore, except in cases where permitted under the terms of the Contracts, the Company shall not prevent Contract Owners from allocating payments to a Portfolio that was otherwise available under the Contracts without first giving the Fund or the Underwriter 90 days notice of its intention to do so.

ARTICLE XI. Notices

Any notice shall be sufficiently given when sent by U.S. first class mail or overnight courier to the other party at the address of such party set forth below or at such other address as such party may from time to time specify in writing to the other party.

If to the Fund:

000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx

Boston, Massachusetts 02210

Attention: Treasurer

If to the Company:

One Nationwide Plaza, 5-02-210A

Columbus, Ohio 43215

Attention: VP, Head of Fund Operations

If to the Underwriter:

000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx

Boston, Massachusetts 02210

Attention: Treasurer

ARTICLE XII. Miscellaneous

12.1 All persons dealing with the Fund must look solely to the property of the Fund for the enforcement of any claims against the Fund as neither the Board, officers, agents or shareholders assume any personal liability for obligations entered into on behalf of the Fund.

12.2 Subject to the requirements of legal process and regulatory authority, each party hereto shall treat as confidential the names and addresses of the owners of the Contracts and all information reasonably identified as confidential in writing by any other party hereto and, except as permitted by this Agreement, shall not disclose, disseminate or utilize such names and addresses and other confidential information until such time as it may come into the public domain without the express written consent of the affected party.

12.3 The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.

12.4 This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more counterparts, each of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

12.5 If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the Agreement shall not be affected thereby.

12.6 Each party hereto shall cooperate with each other party and all appropriate governmental authorities (including without limitation the SEC, the FINRA and state insurance regulators) and shall permit such authorities reasonable access, within each governmental or regulatory authority’s respective jurisdiction, to its books and records in connection with any investigation or inquiry relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, each party hereto further agrees to furnish the California Insurance Commissioner with any information or reports in connection with services provided under this Agreement which such Commissioner may request in order to ascertain whether the insurance operations of the Company are being conducted in a manner consistent with the California Insurance Regulations and any other applicable law or regulations.

12.7 The rights, remedies and obligations contained in this Agreement are cumulative and are in addition to any and all rights, remedies and obligations, at law or in equity, which the parties hereto are entitled to under state and federal laws.

12.8. This Agreement or any of the rights and obligations hereunder may not be assigned by any party without the prior written consent of all parties hereto; provided, however, that the Underwriter may assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder to any affiliate of or company under common control with the Underwriter, if such assignee is duly licensed and registered to perform the obligations of the Underwriter under this Agreement. The Company shall promptly notify the Fund and the Underwriter of any change in control of the Company.

12.9. The Company shall furnish, upon request and availability, or shall cause to be furnished, to the Fund or its designee copies of the following reports:

(a) the Company’s annual statement (prepared under statutory accounting principles) and annual report (prepared under generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), if any), as soon as practical and in any event within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year;

(b) any other report submitted to the Company by independent accountants in connection with any annual, interim or special audit made by them of the books of the Company, as soon as practical after the receipt thereof.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has caused this Agreement to be executed in its name and on its behalf by its duly authorized representative.

NATIONWIDE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY,

NATIONWIDE LIFE AND ANNUITY INSURANCE COMPANY,

JEFFERSON NATIONAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY,

JEFFERSON NATIONAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF NEW

YORK


By:		/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Name:		Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Title:		VP, Head of Fund Operations
Date:		10/11/2023

VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND,

VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND II

VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND III

VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND IV, and

VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND V


By:		/s/ Xxxx Xxxxx
Name:
Title:		Authorized Signatory
Date:

FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS COMPANY LLC


By:		/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Name:		Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Title:		EVP
Date:		10/18/2023

SCHEDULE A

SEPARATE ACCOUNTS


VARIABLE ACCOUNT		DATE SEPARATE ACCOUNT ESTABLISHED
Nationwide Variable Account		3/3/1976
Nationwide Variable Account - II		10/7/1981
Nationwide Variable Account - 3		10/7/1987
Nationwide Variable Account - 4		10/7/1987
Nationwide Variable Account - 5		11/1/1989
Nationwide Variable Account - 6		2/2/1994
Nationwide Variable Account - 7		7/22/1994
Nationwide Variable Account - 8		8/3/1995
Nationwide Variable Account - 9		5/22/1997
Nationwide Variable Account - 10		3/31/1999
Nationwide Variable Account - 11		12/15/1999
Nationwide Variable Account - 12		7/10/2001
Nationwide Variable Account - 13		7/10/2001
Nationwide Variable Account - 14		8/8/2002
Nationwide Variable Account - 15		8/8/2002
Nationwide Multi-Flex Variable Account		10/7/1981
MFS Variable Account		3/3/1976
Nationwide Multiple Maturity VA		3/1/1995
Nationwide Multiple Maturity VA-2		12/15/1999
Index-Linked Annuity Separate Account		1/31/2019
Nationwide VA Separate Account - A		5/6/1987
Nationwide VA Separate Account - B		3/6/1991
Nationwide VA Separate Account - C		7/24/1991
Nationwide VA Separate Account - D		7/26/2000
Nationwide Provident VA Separate Account 1		10/19/1992
Nationwide Provident VA Separate Account A		5/9/1991
Nationwide VLI Separate Account		8/8/1984
Nationwide VLI Separate Account - 2		5/7/1987
Nationwide VLI Separate Account - 3		8/8/1984
Nationwide VLI Separate Account - 4		12/3/1987
Nationwide VLI Separate Account - 5		5/21/1998
Nationwide VLI Separate Account - 6		7/10/2001
Nationwide VLI Separate Account - 7		8/4/2004
Nationwide Provident VLI Separate Account 1		5/1/2000
Nationwide Provident VLI Separate Account A		7/30/1994
Nationwide VL Separate Account - A		8/8/1994
Nationwide VL Separate Account - C		7/22/1997
Nationwide VL Separate Account - D		5/22/1998
Nationwide VL Separate Account - G		8/4/2004
Jefferson National Life Annuity Account C		1980
Jefferson National Life Annuity Account E		9/12/1993
Jefferson National Life Annuity Account F		9/26/1997
Jefferson National Life Annuity Account G		1/18/1996
Jefferson National Life of New York Annuity Account 1		6/20/2014

SCHEDULE B

PROXY VOTING PROCEDURE

The following is a list of procedures and corresponding responsibilities for the handling of proxies relating to the Fund by the Underwriter, the Fund and the Company, or their designee. The defined terms herein shall have the meanings assigned in the Participation Agreement except that the term “Company” shall also include the department or third party assigned by the Insurance Company to perform the steps delineated below.

The number of proxy proposals is given to the Company by the Underwriter as early as possible before the date set by the Fund for the shareholder meeting to facilitate the establishment of tabulation procedures. At this time the Underwriter will inform the Company of the Record, Mailing and Meeting dates. This will be done verbally approximately two months before meeting.

Promptly after the Record Date, the Company will perform a “tape run”, or other activity, which will generate the names, addresses and number of units which are attributed to each contractowner/policyholder (the “Customer”) as of the Record Date. Allowance should be made for account adjustments made after this date that could affect the status of the Customers’ accounts as of the Record Date.

Note: The number of proxy statements is determined by the activities described in Step #2. The Company will use its best efforts to call in the number of Customers to Fidelity, as soon as possible, but no later than two weeks after the Record Date.

The text and format for the Voting Instruction Cards (“Cards” or “Card”) is provided to the Company by the Fund. The Legal Department of the Underwriter or its affiliate (“Fidelity Legal”) must approve the Card before it is printed. Allow approximately 2-4 business days for printing information on the Cards. Information commonly found on the Cards includes:

name (legal name as found on account registration)

address

Fund or account number

coding to state number of units

individual Card number for use in tracking and verification of votes (already on Cards as printed by the Fund)

(This and related steps may occur later in the chronological process due to possible uncertainties relating to the proposals.)

4.	During this time, Fidelity Legal will develop, produce, and the Fund will pay for the Notice of Proxy and the Proxy Statement (one document). Contents of envelope sent to Customers by Company will include:

Voting Instruction Card(s)

One proxy notice and statement (one document)

“urge buckslip”—optional, but recommended. (This is a small, single sheet of paper that requests Customers to vote as quickly as possible and that their vote is important. One copy will be supplied by the Fund.)

cover letter—optional, supplied by Company and reviewed and approved in advance by Fidelity Legal.

5.	The above contents should be received by the Company approximately 3-5 business days before mail date. Individual in charge at Company reviews and approves the contents of the mailing package to ensure correctness and completeness. Copy of this approval sent to Fidelity Legal.

6.	Package mailed by the Company. The Fund must allow at least a 15-day solicitation time to the Company as the shareowner. (A 5-week period is recommended.) Solicitation time is calculated as calendar days from (but not including) the meeting, counting backwards.

7.	Collection and tabulation of Cards begins. Tabulation usually takes place in another department or another vendor depending on process used. An often used procedure is to sort Cards on arrival by proposal into vote categories of all yes, no, or mixed replies, and to begin data entry.

Note: Postmarks are not generally needed. A need for postmark information would be due to an insurance company’s internal procedure and has not been required by Fidelity in the past.

8.	Signatures on Card checked against legal name on account registration which was printed on the Card.

Note: For Example, If the account registration is under “Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Trustee,” then that is the exact legal name to be printed on the Card and is the signature needed on the Card.

If Cards are mutilated, or for any reason are illegible or are not signed properly, they are sent back to Customer with an explanatory letter, a new Card and return envelope. The mutilated or illegible Card is disregarded and considered to be not received for purposes of vote tabulation. Any Cards that have “kicked out” (e.g. mutilated, illegible) of the procedure are “hand verified,” i.e., examined as to why they did not complete the system. Any questions on those Cards are usually remedied individually.

10.

There are various control procedures used to ensure proper tabulation of votes and accuracy of that tabulation. The most prevalent is to sort the Cards as they first arrive into categories depending upon their vote; an estimate of how the vote is progressing may then be calculated. If the initial estimates and the actual vote do not coincide, then an internal audit of that vote should occur. This may entail a recount.

11.	The actual tabulation of votes is done in units which is then converted to shares. (It is very important that the Fund receives the tabulations stated in terms of a percentage and the number of shares.) Fidelity Legal must review and approve tabulation format.

12.	Final tabulation in shares is verbally given by the Company to Fidelity Legal on the morning of the meeting not later than 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. Fidelity Legal may request an earlier deadline if required to calculate the vote in time for the meeting.

13.	A Certification of Mailing and Authorization to Vote Shares will be required from the Company as well as an original copy of the final vote. Fidelity Legal will provide a standard form for each Certification.

14.	The Company will be required to box and archive the Cards received from the Customers. In the event that any vote is challenged or if otherwise necessary for legal, regulatory, or accounting purposes, Fidelity Legal will be permitted reasonable access to such Cards.

15.	All approvals and “signing-off” may be done orally, but must always be followed up in writing.

SCHEDULE C

MANUAL PROCESSING PROCEDURES

On each Business Day, Company may receive Orders from the Contract Owner for the purchase or redemption of Shares based solely upon receipt of such Orders prior to the Market Close on that Business Day. Orders received in good order by Company prior to the Market Close on any given Business Day (the “Trade Date”) and transmitted to the Company by no later than 9:30 a.m. ET the Business Day following the Trade Date (“Trade Date plus One” or “T+1”), will be executed at the net asset value per Share (“Share Price”) of each applicable Fund, determined as of the Market Close on the Trade Date.

As noted in Paragraph 1 above, by 9:30 a.m. ET on T+1 (“Instruction Cutoff Time”) and after Company has processed all approved transactions, Company will transmit to the Fund via facsimile, telefax, or electronic transmission, or system-to-system, or by a method acceptable to Company and the Fund, a report (the “Instruction Report”) detailing the Orders that were received by Company prior to the Funds’ daily determination of Share Price for each Fund (i.e., the Market Close) on Trade Date.

(a)

It is understood by the parties that all Instructions from the Contract Owner shall be received and processed by Company in accordance with its standard transaction processing procedures. Company or its designees shall maintain records sufficient to identify the date and time of receipt of all Contract Owner Orders involving the Funds and shall make or cause to be made such records available upon reasonable request for examination by the Funds or its designated representative or by appropriate governmental authorities. Under no circumstances shall Company change, alter, or modify any Orders or other instructions received by it in good order.

(b)

Following the completion of the transmission of any Orders by Company to the Fund by the Instruction Cutoff Time, Company will verify that the Orders were received by the Fund.

(c)

In the event that Company transmits an Order to the Fund on any Business Day prior to the Instruction Cutoff Time and such Order is not received by the Fund due to circumstances caused by the Fund that prohibit the Fund’s receipt of such Order, such Order shall nonetheless be treated by the Fund as if it had been received by the Instruction Cutoff Time, provided that Company retransmits such Order by facsimile transmission to the Fund .

(d)

With respect to all Orders, the Fund’s financial control representative will manually adjust a Fund’s records for the Trade Date to reflect any Orders sent by Company.

3.	As set forth below, upon the timely receipt from Company of the Orders, the Fund will execute the purchase or redemption transactions (as the case may be) at the Share Price for each Fund computed as of the Market Close on the Trade Date.

(a)

Except as otherwise provided herein, all purchase and redemption Orders will settle on T+1. Settlements will be through net Federal Funds Wire transfers to an account designated by the Fund. In the case of Orders which constitute a net purchase order, settlement shall occur by Company initiating a wire transfer on T+1 to the custodian for the Fund for receipt by the Funds’ custodian by no later than the close of regular business at the New York Federal Reserve Bank on T+1, causing the remittance of the requisite funds to the Fund to cover such net purchase order.

In the case of Orders which constitute a net redemption order, settlement shall occur by the Fund causing the remittance of the requisite funds to cover such net redemption order by Federal Funds Wire transfers on T+1, provided that the Fund reserves the right to (i) delay settlement of redemptions for up to seven (7) Business Days after receiving a net redemption order in accordance with Section 22 of the 1940 Act and Rule 22c-1 thereunder, or (ii) suspend redemptions pursuant to the 1940 Act or as otherwise required by law. Settlements shall be in U.S. dollars.

(b)

Company (and its Variable Accounts) shall be designated as record owner of each account and the Fund shall provide Company with all written confirmations required under federal and state securities laws.

(c)

On any Business Day when the Federal Reserve Wire Transfer System is closed, all communication and processing rules will be suspended for the settlement of Orders. Orders will be settled on the next Business Day on which the Federal Reserve Wire Transfer System is open. The original T+1 settlement date will not apply. Rather, for purposes of this Paragraph 3(c) only, the settlement date will be the date on which the Order settles.

(d)

Company shall, upon receipt of any confirmation or statement concerning the accounts, verify the accuracy of the information contained therein against the information contained in Company’s internal record-keeping system and shall promptly advise the Fund in writing of any discrepancies between such information. The Fund and Company shall cooperate to resolve any such discrepancies as soon as reasonably practicable.

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PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT Among VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUNDS, FIDELITY DISTRIBUTORS COMPANY LLC and NATIONWIDE LIFE_INSURANCE COMPANY, NATIONWIDE LIFE AND ANNUITY INSURANCE COMPANY, JEFFERSON NATIONAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, JEFFERSON NATIONAL LIFE...

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