diff --git a/src/main/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/controllers/ApplicationFormController.java b/src/main/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/controllers/ApplicationFormController.java
index b2774b93..5cf91283 100644
--- a/src/main/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/controllers/ApplicationFormController.java
+++ b/src/main/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/controllers/ApplicationFormController.java
@@ -168,21 +168,18 @@ public ResponseEntity<Void> deleteApplicationForm(@PathVariable @NotNull Integer
             @ApiResponse(responseCode = "404", description = "Application not found with given id",
                     content = @Content(mediaType = "application/json")), })
     @LambdasHeaderValidator
-    public ResponseEntity<Void> removeApplicationAttachedToGrantAdvert(@PathVariable @NotNull UUID grantAdvertId) {
+    public ResponseEntity<Void> removeApplicationAttachedToGrantAdvert(@PathVariable @NotNull final UUID grantAdvertId) {
         try {
-
-            Integer schemeId = grantAdvertService.getAdvertById(grantAdvertId).getScheme().getId();
-            Optional<ApplicationFormEntity> applicationForm = applicationFormService
-                    .getOptionalApplicationFromSchemeId(schemeId);
+            final Integer schemeId = grantAdvertService.getSchemeIdFromAdvert(grantAdvertId);
+            final Optional<ApplicationFormEntity> applicationForm = applicationFormService.getOptionalApplicationFromSchemeId(schemeId);
             if (applicationForm.isEmpty()) {
                 log.info("No application form attached to grant advert with id: " + grantAdvertId + " was found.");
                 return ResponseEntity.noContent().build();
             }
 
-            ApplicationFormPatchDTO applicationFormPatchDTO = new ApplicationFormPatchDTO();
+            final ApplicationFormPatchDTO applicationFormPatchDTO = new ApplicationFormPatchDTO();
             applicationFormPatchDTO.setApplicationStatus(ApplicationStatusEnum.REMOVED);
-            this.applicationFormService.patchApplicationForm(applicationForm.get().getGrantApplicationId(),
-                    applicationFormPatchDTO, true);
+            applicationFormService.patchApplicationForm(applicationForm.get().getGrantApplicationId(), applicationFormPatchDTO, true);
 
             return ResponseEntity.noContent().build();
         }
@@ -192,10 +189,10 @@ public ResponseEntity<Void> removeApplicationAttachedToGrantAdvert(@PathVariable
         catch (UnauthorizedException error) {
             return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.UNAUTHORIZED).build();
         }
-        catch (ApplicationFormException error) {
+        catch (Exception error) {
+            log.error("Error removing application attached to grant advert with id: " + grantAdvertId, error);
             return ResponseEntity.internalServerError().build();
         }
-
     }
 
     @PatchMapping("/{applicationId}")
diff --git a/src/main/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/repositories/GrantAdvertRepository.java b/src/main/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/repositories/GrantAdvertRepository.java
index b9625dd3..3e70a6ce 100644
--- a/src/main/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/repositories/GrantAdvertRepository.java
+++ b/src/main/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/repositories/GrantAdvertRepository.java
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ public interface GrantAdvertRepository extends JpaRepository<GrantAdvert, UUID>
     @Override
     Optional<GrantAdvert> findById(UUID id);
 
+    @Query("select g from GrantAdvert g where g.id = ?1")
+    @EntityGraph(attributePaths = {"scheme"})
+    Optional<GrantAdvert> findByIdWithScheme(UUID id);
+
     @PreAuthorize("#grantAdminId == authentication.principal.grantAdminId")
     Long deleteByIdAndCreatedById(UUID advertId, Integer grantAdminId);
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/services/ApplicationFormService.java b/src/main/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/services/ApplicationFormService.java
index d020f172..6bca1540 100644
--- a/src/main/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/services/ApplicationFormService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/services/ApplicationFormService.java
@@ -351,7 +351,6 @@ public void patchApplicationForm(Integer applicationId, ApplicationFormPatchDTO
             throw new ApplicationFormException("Error occurred when patching application with id of " + applicationId,
                     e);
         }
-
     }
 
     @PreAuthorize("hasRole('SUPER_ADMIN')")
diff --git a/src/main/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/services/GrantAdvertService.java b/src/main/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/services/GrantAdvertService.java
index 868556bf..5a76c0df 100644
--- a/src/main/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/services/GrantAdvertService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/services/GrantAdvertService.java
@@ -126,6 +126,13 @@ public GrantAdvert getAdvertById(UUID advertId) {
         return advert;
     }
 
+    public Integer getSchemeIdFromAdvert(UUID advertId) {
+        return grantAdvertRepository.findByIdWithScheme(advertId)
+                .map(GrantAdvert::getScheme)
+                .map(SchemeEntity::getId)
+                .orElseThrow(() -> new NotFoundException("Scheme not found for advert with id " + advertId));
+    }
+
     public GetGrantAdvertPageResponseDTO getAdvertBuilderPageData(UUID grantAdvertId, String sectionId, String pageId) {
 
         GrantAdvert grantAdvert = getAdvertById(grantAdvertId);
diff --git a/src/test/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/controllers/ApplicationFormControllerTest.java b/src/test/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/controllers/ApplicationFormControllerTest.java
index 2631fb8e..3175b1a3 100644
--- a/src/test/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/controllers/ApplicationFormControllerTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/gov/cabinetoffice/gap/adminbackend/controllers/ApplicationFormControllerTest.java
@@ -291,8 +291,7 @@ void deleteApplicationForm_AccessDeniedTest() throws Exception {
     @Test
     void removesApplicationAttachedToGrantAdvert_Successfully() throws Exception {
         SchemeEntity scheme = SchemeEntity.builder().id(1).name("scheme").build();
-        GrantAdvert grantAdvert = GrantAdvert.builder().grantAdvertName("grant-advert").scheme(scheme).build();
-        when(grantAdvertService.getAdvertById(SAMPLE_ADVERT_ID)).thenReturn(grantAdvert);
+        when(grantAdvertService.getSchemeIdFromAdvert(SAMPLE_ADVERT_ID)).thenReturn(1);
         when(applicationFormService.getOptionalApplicationFromSchemeId(scheme.getId()))
                 .thenReturn(Optional.of(ApplicationFormEntity.builder().grantApplicationId(1)
                         .applicationName("application").grantSchemeId(scheme.getId()).build()));
@@ -310,7 +309,7 @@ void removesApplicationAttachedToGrantAdvert_Successfully() throws Exception {
 
     @Test
     void removesApplicationAttachedToGrantAdvert_throwsNotFoundWhenNoAdvertFound() throws Exception {
-        doThrow(NotFoundException.class).when(grantAdvertService).getAdvertById(SAMPLE_ADVERT_ID);
+        doThrow(NotFoundException.class).when(grantAdvertService).getSchemeIdFromAdvert(SAMPLE_ADVERT_ID);
 
         this.mockMvc
                 .perform(delete("/application-forms/lambda/" + SAMPLE_ADVERT_ID + "/application/")
@@ -321,8 +320,7 @@ void removesApplicationAttachedToGrantAdvert_throwsNotFoundWhenNoAdvertFound() t
     @Test
     void removesApplicationAttachedToGrantAdvert_throwsApplicationFormExceptionWhenUnableToPatch() throws Exception {
         SchemeEntity scheme = SchemeEntity.builder().id(1).name("scheme").build();
-        GrantAdvert grantAdvert = GrantAdvert.builder().grantAdvertName("grant-advert").scheme(scheme).build();
-        when(grantAdvertService.getAdvertById(SAMPLE_ADVERT_ID)).thenReturn(grantAdvert);
+        when(grantAdvertService.getSchemeIdFromAdvert(SAMPLE_ADVERT_ID)).thenReturn(1);
         when(applicationFormService.getOptionalApplicationFromSchemeId(scheme.getId()))
                 .thenReturn(Optional.of(ApplicationFormEntity.builder().grantApplicationId(1)
                         .applicationName("application").grantSchemeId(scheme.getId()).build()));