It provides technical, economic, and technological support to the local governments and administrations (ayuntamientos) of the 61 municipalities of the province, coordinates some municipal services, coordinates services of a supramunicipal character and provides direct services to citizens.

It is headquartered in the Palacio de la Diputación de Pontevedra in the city of Pontevedra and has a delegation in the city of Vigo.

[1] The Provincial Deputation was established on 12 February 1836, after its creation by Royal Decree on 21 September 1835, as a result of the 30 November 1833 division of Spain into provinces in which Pontevedra was declared the provincial capital.

[2] At that time, it had responsibility for public works, education, and care of the poor; prior to the creation of the autonomous communities, provincial deputations were the only organ intermediate between municipalities and the central government of Spain.

On 26 April 1979, during the Spanish transition to democracy, the Deputation was reconstituted as a democratic entity.