diff --git a/utilities/ideascale-importer/ideascale_importer/cli/ideascale.py b/utilities/ideascale-importer/ideascale_importer/cli/ideascale.py
index 7ca4c8b14b..4a1641ac82 100644
--- a/utilities/ideascale-importer/ideascale_importer/cli/ideascale.py
+++ b/utilities/ideascale-importer/ideascale_importer/cli/ideascale.py
@@ -71,8 +71,11 @@ async def inner(
             ideascale_api_url,
         )
 
-        await importer.connect()
-        await importer.run()
-        await importer.close()
+        try:
+            await importer.connect()
+            await importer.run()
+            await importer.close()
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.error(e)
 
     asyncio.run(inner(event_id, campaign_group_id, stage_ids, proposals_scores_csv, ideascale_api_url))
diff --git a/utilities/ideascale-importer/ideascale_importer/ideascale/importer.py b/utilities/ideascale-importer/ideascale_importer/ideascale/importer.py
index ec31eeba9d..69d147a527 100644
--- a/utilities/ideascale-importer/ideascale_importer/ideascale/importer.py
+++ b/utilities/ideascale-importer/ideascale_importer/ideascale/importer.py
@@ -60,13 +60,22 @@ def from_json_file(path: str) -> "Config":
 class ReadConfigException(Exception):
     """Raised when the configuration file cannot be read."""
 
-    ...
+    def __init__(self, cause: str):
+        super().__init__(f"Failed to read config file: {cause}")
 
 
 class ReadProposalsScoresCsv(Exception):
     """Raised when the proposals impact scores csv cannot be read."""
 
-    ...
+    def __init__(self, cause: str):
+        super().__init__(f"Failed to read proposals impact score file: {cause}")
+
+
+class MapObjectiveError(Exception):
+    """Raised when mapping an objective from campaign data fails."""
+
+    def __init__(self, objective_field: str, campaign_field: str, cause: str):
+        super().__init__(f"Failed to map objective '{objective_field}' from campaign '{campaign_field}': {cause}")
 
 
 class Mapper:
@@ -79,7 +88,10 @@ def __init__(self, vote_options_id: int, config: Config):
 
     def map_objective(self, a: Campaign, event_id: int) -> ideascale_importer.db.models.Challenge:
         """Map a IdeaScale campaign into a objective."""
-        reward = parse_reward(a.tagline)
+        try:
+            reward = parse_reward(a.tagline)
+        except InvalidRewardsString as e:
+            raise MapObjectiveError("reward", "tagline", str(e))
 
         return ideascale_importer.db.models.Challenge(
             row_id=0,
@@ -169,7 +181,8 @@ class Reward:
 class InvalidRewardsString(Exception):
     """Raised when the reward string cannot be parsed."""
 
-    ...
+    def __init__(self):
+        super().__init__("Invalid rewards string")
 
 
 def parse_reward(s: str) -> Reward: