diff --git a/.changeset/olive-ads-peel.md b/.changeset/olive-ads-peel.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7a7c73ddb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/olive-ads-peel.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend': patch
+---
+
+Provide better error messaging when GitHub fails due to missing team definitions
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/github/helpers.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/github/helpers.ts
index dae5e16374..25f343da9e 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/github/helpers.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/github/helpers.ts
@@ -190,13 +190,22 @@ export async function createGithubRepoWithCollaboratorsAndTopics(
 
   if (access?.startsWith(`${owner}/`)) {
     const [, team] = access.split('/');
-    await client.rest.teams.addOrUpdateRepoPermissionsInOrg({
-      org: owner,
-      team_slug: team,
-      owner,
-      repo,
-      permission: 'admin',
-    });
+    try {
+      await client.rest.teams.addOrUpdateRepoPermissionsInOrg({
+        org: owner,
+        team_slug: team,
+        owner,
+        repo,
+        permission: 'admin',
+      });
+    } catch (e) {
+      if (e.data.message === 'Not Found') {
+        const message = `Received 'Not Found' from the API; one of org:
+        ${owner}, team: ${team} or repo: ${repo} was not found within GitHub.`;
+        logger.warn(message);
+        throw new Error(message, { cause: e });
+      }
+    }
     // No need to add access if it's the person who owns the personal account
   } else if (access && access !== owner) {
     await client.rest.repos.addCollaborator({
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.test.ts b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.test.ts
index 8ead489ea4..0edeafecfd 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder-backend/src/scaffolder/actions/builtin/publish/github.test.ts
@@ -518,6 +518,31 @@ describe('publish:github', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it('should provide an adequate failure message when adding access', async () => {
+    mockOctokit.rest.users.getByUsername.mockResolvedValue({
+      data: { type: 'User' },
+    });
+
+    mockOctokit.rest.repos.createForAuthenticatedUser.mockResolvedValue({
+      data: {
+        clone_url: 'https://github.com/clone/url.git',
+        html_url: 'https://github.com/html/url',
+      },
+    });
+
+    mockOctokit.rest.teams.addOrUpdateRepoPermissionsInOrg.mockRejectedValue({
+      status: 404,
+      data: {
+        message: 'Not Found',
+        documentation_url:
+          'https://docs.github.com/en/rest/teams/teams#add-or-update-team-repository-permissions',
+      },
+    });
+    await expect(action.handler(mockContext)).rejects.toThrow(
+      "Received 'Not Found' from the API;",
+    );
+  });
+
   it('should add outside collaborators when provided', async () => {
     mockOctokit.rest.users.getByUsername.mockResolvedValue({
       data: { type: 'User' },