diff --git a/atst/forms/financial.py b/atst/forms/financial.py
index 3bdb8e53..77811ee1 100644
--- a/atst/forms/financial.py
+++ b/atst/forms/financial.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class FinancialForm(ValidatedForm):
     @tornado.gen.coroutine
     def perform_extra_validation(self, existing_request, fundz_client):
         valid = True
-        if existing_request['pe_id'] != self.pe_id.data:
+        if not existing_request or existing_request.get('pe_id') != self.pe_id.data:
             valid = yield validate_pe_id(self.pe_id, existing_request, fundz_client)
         raise Return(valid)
 
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 469a2100..c650b5f1 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 from atst.app import make_app, make_deps, make_config
-from tests.mocks import MockApiClient, MockRequestsClient, MockAuthzClient
+from tests.mocks import MockApiClient, MockFundzClient, MockRequestsClient, MockAuthzClient
 from atst.sessions import DictSessions
 
 
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ def app():
         "authz_client": MockAuthzClient("authz"),
         "requests_client": MockRequestsClient("requests"),
         "authnid_client": MockApiClient("authnid"),
+        "fundz_client": MockFundzClient("fundz"),
         "sessions": DictSessions(),
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/handlers/test_request_new.py b/tests/handlers/test_request_new.py
index 7cd99495..6a8a37f6 100644
--- a/tests/handlers/test_request_new.py
+++ b/tests/handlers/test_request_new.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 import re
 import pytest
+import tornado
+import urllib
+from tests.mocks import MOCK_REQUEST, MOCK_VALID_PE_ID
 
 ERROR_CLASS = "usa-input-error-message"
 MOCK_USER = {
@@ -47,3 +50,82 @@ def test_submit_valid_request_form(monkeypatch, http_client, base_url):
         body="meaning=42",
     )
     assert "/requests/new/2" in response.effective_url
+
+
+class TestPENumberInForm:
+
+    required_data = {
+        "pe_id": "123",
+        "task_order_id": "1234567899C0001",
+        "fname_co": "Contracting",
+        "lname_co": "Officer",
+        "email_co": "jane@mail.mil",
+        "office_co": "WHS",
+        "fname_cor": "Officer",
+        "lname_cor": "Representative",
+        "email_cor": "jane@mail.mil",
+        "office_cor": "WHS",
+        "funding_type": "RDTE",
+        "funding_type_other": "other",
+        "clin_0001": "50,000",
+        "clin_0003": "13,000",
+        "clin_1001": "30,000",
+        "clin_1003": "7,000",
+        "clin_2001": "30,000",
+        "clin_2003": "7,000",
+    }
+
+    def _set_monkeypatches(self, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            "atst.handlers.request_new.RequestNew.get_current_user", lambda s: MOCK_USER
+        )
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            "atst.handlers.request_new.RequestNew.check_xsrf_cookie", lambda s: True
+        )
+        monkeypatch.setattr("atst.forms.request.RequestForm.validate", lambda s: True)
+
+    @tornado.gen.coroutine
+    def submit_data(self, http_client, base_url, data):
+        response = yield http_client.fetch(
+            base_url + "/requests/new/5/{}".format(MOCK_REQUEST["id"]),
+            method="POST",
+            headers={"Content-Type": "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"},
+            body=urllib.parse.urlencode(data),
+            follow_redirects=False,
+            raise_error=False,
+        )
+        return response
+
+    @pytest.mark.gen_test
+    def test_submit_request_form_with_invalid_pe_id(self, monkeypatch, http_client, base_url):
+        self._set_monkeypatches(monkeypatch)
+
+        response = yield self.submit_data(http_client, base_url, self.required_data)
+
+        assert "We couldn\'t find that PE number" in response.body.decode()
+        assert response.code == 200
+        assert "/requests/new/5" in response.effective_url
+
+    @pytest.mark.gen_test
+    def test_submit_request_form_with_unchanged_pe_id(self, monkeypatch, http_client, base_url):
+        self._set_monkeypatches(monkeypatch)
+
+        data = dict(self.required_data)
+        data['pe_id'] = MOCK_REQUEST['body']['financial_verification']['pe_id']
+
+        response = yield self.submit_data(http_client, base_url, data)
+
+        assert response.code == 302
+        assert response.headers.get("Location") == "/requests"
+
+    @pytest.mark.gen_test
+    def test_submit_request_form_with_new_valid_pe_id(self, monkeypatch, http_client, base_url):
+        self._set_monkeypatches(monkeypatch)
+
+        data = dict(self.required_data)
+        data['pe_id'] = MOCK_VALID_PE_ID
+
+        response = yield self.submit_data(http_client, base_url, data)
+
+        assert response.code == 302
+        assert response.headers.get("Location") == "/requests"
diff --git a/tests/mocks.py b/tests/mocks.py
index a04e40bf..6cd3540c 100644
--- a/tests/mocks.py
+++ b/tests/mocks.py
@@ -43,27 +43,39 @@ class MockApiClient(ApiClient):
         return response
 
 
+MOCK_REQUEST = {
+    "id": "66b8ef71-86d3-48ef-abc2-51bfa1732b6b",
+    "creator": "49903ae7-da4a-49bf-a6dc-9dff5d004238",
+    "body": {
+        "financial_verification": {
+            "pe_id": "0203752A",
+        },
+    },
+    "status": "incomplete"
+}
+
 class MockRequestsClient(MockApiClient):
 
     @tornado.gen.coroutine
     def get(self, path, **kwargs):
-        json = {
-            "id": "66b8ef71-86d3-48ef-abc2-51bfa1732b6b",
-            "creator": "49903ae7-da4a-49bf-a6dc-9dff5d004238",
-            "body": {},
-            "status": "incomplete",
-        }
-        return self._get_response("GET", path, 200, json=json)
+        return self._get_response("GET", path, 200, json=MOCK_REQUEST)
 
     @tornado.gen.coroutine
     def post(self, path, **kwargs):
-        json = {
-            "id": "66b8ef71-86d3-48ef-abc2-51bfa1732b6b",
-            "creator": "49903ae7-da4a-49bf-a6dc-9dff5d004238",
-            "body": {},
-            "status": "incomplete",
-        }
-        return self._get_response("POST", path, 202, json=json)
+        return self._get_response("POST", path, 202, json=MOCK_REQUEST)
+
+
+MOCK_VALID_PE_ID = "8675309U"
+
+
+class MockFundzClient(MockApiClient):
+
+    @tornado.gen.coroutine
+    def get(self, path, **kwargs):
+        if path.endswith(MOCK_VALID_PE_ID):
+            return self._get_response("GET", path, 200)
+        else:
+            return self._get_response("GET", path, 404)
 
 
 class MockAuthzClient(MockApiClient):